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A Message from Rich Bielen

June 2, 2020

The following message was sent to all Protective employees on Tuesday, June 2, 2020.


Colleagues,

Like many of you, I have been following the tragic events of the past few weeks. The deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor and the protests that have followed have shaken our country to its core.

These most recent events remind us that our nation has a long way to go when it comes to offering equality and justice for all. We must acknowledge the anxiety, anger, pain and fear being felt by many, especially those in the Black community. We must work together to create communities free of racism and violence.

Personally, I am reflecting on inclusion, what it means to be an ally, and our roles as leaders and citizens. I recognize that I can’t fully appreciate what many of you are experiencing, but I know many of you are hurting. I want you to know that I stand with you.

At Protective, we condemn racism in all of its forms, and we remain committed to providing a work environment that is free from discrimination – a place where each person feels welcomed, respected, valued and heard.

Last June, I signed the CEO Action Pledge for Diversity and Inclusion. The pledge is a visible and important demonstration of our commitment to diversity, inclusion and opportunity. The first commitment of the pledge says that we will create a culture that is trusting and safe, a place where we can have complex and sometimes difficult conversations about diversity and inclusion.

Now it is my responsibility, the responsibility of our leaders and each of our teammates to deliver on this commitment. We must also be advocates at every level in society. This is a complex and systemic issue, and to affect change, we must work together to advance education, social justice and economic equality. Knowing where to start can be tough, but an important thing we can all do is work to build trust with one another, create a sense of belonging and demonstrate we value people as individuals.

This is personal for me, and it should be for each of us. We must all find ways to understand and create the change we most desperately need.

Rich Bielen

President and CEO



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