Fitch Group, a global leader in financial information services with operations in more than 30 countries, announced the appointment of Dr. Maria Angelica Perez as its first Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).

In this new role, Dr. Perez will be responsible for shaping DEI strategy at Fitch Group to foster a strong and inclusive culture across the company. In recent years Fitch has introduced a number of successful DEI initiatives to support its strategy of retaining, developing and advancing diverse talent at Fitch.

Dr. Perez joins Fitch from Standard Chartered, where she was the Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion, overseeing D&I across 60 markets and 86,000 colleagues and achieving numerous accolades for the bank, as well as being named a Diversity Leader in external rankings. Prior to joining Standard Chartered, Dr. Perez held various DEI and organisational development roles at UBS, HSBC, and Ericsson. During this time, she has established an international reputation as a respected thought leader and vocal advocate for how diversity drives business success.

"We are really pleased that Maria Angelica has joined Fitch," said Andy Jackson, Chief Human Resources Officer, Fitch Group. "Our successful growth depends on cultivating a working environment that actively embraces different perspectives, cultures, and diversity of thought. Angelica's background and career experience brings a new level of expertise to Fitch on the value of workplace DEI and its implementation."