Northern Trust announced today that it has hired Sarah Boddey as chief diversity officer for Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA) and Asia Pacific (APAC).

Based in London, Boddey is responsible for leading Northern Trust’s diversity and inclusion strategy in this region, and will report to Connie Lindsey, head of corporate social responsibility and global diversity and inclusion at Northern Trust.

Boddey joins from AIG where she spent close to three years as head of Diversity & Inclusion-EMEA. Previously, Sarah was head of Diversity and Inclusion for Barclays Wealth. Boddey’s experience spans the legal, banking and insurance industries, bringing expertise in diversity and inclusion, human resources consulting, training design and delivery, organizational culture change, and employee engagement. She has more than 13 years of experience in the legal, professional services, banking and insurance sectors.

“Northern Trust is committed to being a diverse and inclusive business, and we are delighted to welcome Sarah to our London office,” said Wilson Leech, head of Northern Trust in EMEA. “Sarah’s experience will be valuable to ensuring the advancement of our diversity and inclusion strategy, across the region.”

Northern Trust’s EMEA business launched a diversity and inclusion council in 2013, comprising representatives from its businesses in the region, with the aim of supporting an embedded culture cognizant of ensuring diversity and inclusion. The council hosts events and initiatives and in late 2015 hosted its first conference for all employees in London, which featured a series of interactive sessions and guest speakers.

“A diverse workforce is one of our strongest assets,” said Lindsey. “Creating a work environment in which any individual or group can feel included, respected and valued allows us to leverage the talents and skills of our employees. This creates an engaged workforce best suited to serve our clients, investors and one another, ensuring we maintain successful business performance.”