The global business and financial information news firm, Bloomberg has named Alisha Fernando, the company’s new Head of Diversity and Inclusion, APAC. Fernando will be responsible for driving Bloomberg’s D&I strategy across the region and her personal background and career experience in finance, change management, and people leadership is expected to play an integral role in Bloomberg’s ongoing efforts to create an inclusive and collaborative culture in APAC.

Before joining Bloomberg, Fernando was heading the development and implantation of the D&I strategy, programs, and initiatives at the University of Melbourne. She for a long time has also worked with the Australian and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ), where she served as the firm’s Inclusion Program Manager. Under her leadership, ANZ won the 2017 business inclusion award from the Migration Council of Australia for its refugee work placement program, and the LGBTI+ employer of the year award from Pride in Diversity.

Fernando’s passion for strengthening the diversity and inclusion comes from her personal experiences – her family fled Vietnam in 1982 and was rescued by a Dutch ship in the South China Sea. The ship brought Alisha and her family to Malaysia, where they received refugee status and were granted safe haven to Australia. She has since dedicated her career to advocating for under-represented groups. And her work has proven her good intent for the purpose time and again in the contributions, she has made in the previous companies. 

But now with a new responsibility for a brand new company and a new industry brings in new hurdles. Pamela Hutchinson, Bloomberg’s Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion believes in Fernando’s capabilities and is excited to have her on board. She said, “Pamela Hutchinson, Bloomberg’s Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion. “Alisha brings to us an incredible personal background and career experience in finance, change management, and people leadership that will no doubt play an integral role in our ongoing efforts to create an inclusive and collaborative culture in APAC.”

In recent times, diversity has gained importance and companies are now increasingly realizing the impact it can have on business. As building a diverse and inclusive culture now becomes a key priority for businesses, dedicated teams and leaders are being assigned to take care of it. In Bloomberg, how newly appointed D&I Head for APAC, along with Global D&I head Hutchinson and others drive the culture of inclusion in the firm is to look forward to. Fernando's experience might lead Bloomberg to also receive accolades and appreciations for its D&I practices. Time will tell if she is able to repeat the history of winning awards in the new venture just like she did for ANZ.