D&I Champion Spotlight: Ed Veloz, Head of Diversity Sourcing at TD
Eduardo Veloz is a powerful advocate for diversifying talent in the finance space. Ed’s resume features a wide range of recruitment roles at some really recognizable financial institutions including Citi, Morgan Stanley, Dow Jones, TD Securities, and TD Bank, where he is currently the Head of Diversity Sourcing. His team is responsible for building diverse candidate pipelines, and supporting recruiters and hiring managers as they embed diversity efforts into each phase of the hiring process.
The son of two immigrants, and a first generation college student himself, Ed’s goal is to “remove the luck factor” when it comes to people from underrepresented communities achieving their career goals. His extensive experience in early career recruiting has inspired him to pave a path to success for students who don’t have the privilege of connections or career guidance. We spoke to Ed about some recent efforts in early talent and diversity recruitment, and what he’s looking forward to in D&I in 2022!
R: Why are you passionate about working in D&I?
E: I am the son of two immigrants, who was the first in my family to attend college. When I reflect on my journey to get to where I am today, I think of how lucky I was to come across the right individuals who pointed me in the right direction. Others in my community didn’t have the same luck I had, I want to remove the luck factor as it pertains to people from underrepresented communities achieving their career goals.
R: Please share some accomplishments related to DEI you/your team have made in the past year that you're particularly proud of:
E: In January 2021 we launched a first generation Early Talent program at TD that enabled college sophomores with little to no exposure to the finance industry to acquire the needed technical and soft skills to land a finance internship. This multi week program was targeted towards sophomores from underrepresented communities, and based on my own journey this was the most rewarding program I have ever been associated with.
R: What D&I related projects are you most looking forward to this year?
As we start our journey as a Diversity Sourcing function in the US I am most looking forward to bridging the gap between underrepresented communities and TD. For anyone who is starting their career in the Diversity space I would encourage them to be resilient, change does not come overnight and not everyone you work with will be as passionate about the cause as you and that’s ok. If you lean into your work with passion, heart, data, and the rationale you will eventually bring about the change and progress you are seeking.
*RippleMatch is recognizing standout individuals in talent acquisition through our D&I Champion, Program Innovator, Outstanding Leader, and Rockstar Recruiter spotlights. Do you or any other standout individuals want to be recognized? Submit your information through the links above so we can reach out.
