Interview: Kuldeep Kaushik, CEO of NN Asigurari de viata SA, on Building a Future-Ready, Inclusive Society

1. How does NN make a difference in society and what are your key social responsibility initiatives in Romania?

NN’s ambition is to be a future ready digital insurer known for excellent customer experiences, talented professionals and meaningful impact in society. Investing in socially relevant initiatives engaging the communities we are part of, with the mission to contribute to their physical, emotional, and financial well-being, to building diversity, inclusion and accessibility, as well as to the sustainable development of Romania, is a strategic priority for NN.

Our contribution and investments aim to drive positive social change and to create a better, more inclusive future not only for the communities directly benefiting from support, but for the overall society. We believe that a better future is built today, which is why we offer protection, solutions, and advisory for people’s financial well-being and support initiatives for the well-being of society. Health and education are areas where we know we can have the greatest long-term impact, helping people from vulnerable categories lead a healthy and financially independent life, to integrate more easily into society, and to become more resilient and better prepared for the future.

We focus our community investment strategy around four material topics: equal treatment and opportunities for all, human capital development and attraction, employee well-being, and secure and fair employment. Only in 2024, we contributed €780,000 and 2,300 volunteering hours from over 600 employees and financial consultants, impacting the lives of over 21,000 people. This way, we contributed to ensuring a better start in life for children born with heart malformations, together with Inima Copiilor, or a better future for neurodivergent children and adults, together with Autism Voice. At the same time, NN supported education for children and career opportunities for young adults in vulnerable communities, alongside organizations like Salvati Copiii, Junior Achievement, Hope and Homes for Children or EduAct.

2. How does NN ensure that your products and services are accessible and contribute to a more secure and inclusive future for people?

At NN, we have a complex product portfolio aimed at helping people protect what matters most to them and secure a better financial future for themselves and their family. Our protection solutions are accessible to all, through a diversified distribution network, helping people reduce their financial vulnerabilities and protection gap while enabling them to better manage unexpected situations in life like accidents leading to disabilities, critical illnesses like cancer, loss of income, making them socially and financially disadvantaged, or even loss of life in the family. At the same time, through our savings and investment solutions and through private pensions, we help people ensure a better financial situation for their future selves, which empowers them to keep their standard of living and benefit from a more secure and inclusive life at retirement age. We continuously assess how our offerings contribute to an inclusive customer experience and we embed accessibility in the way we design and deliver our services, aligning with regulations such as the European Accessibility Act. We are always looking at how our products can be further improved to include all communities of Romania.

3. What is NN’s approach to D&I and how do you actively create an inclusive work environment?

At NN, diversity and inclusion are more than values we stand by, they are our way of creating meaningful change and contributing to a more inclusive workplace and a more equitable society. Our approach to diversity and inclusion is simple: everyone is welcome, valued, included, respected and empowered to be themselves. We celebrate differences and believe that when people bring their authentic selves to work, teams thrive, innovation accelerates, and communities benefit. Our updated HR Framework, applicable to all NN Group employees, includes a strong reference to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and focuses on inclusive hiring, equitable opportunities, and employee empowerment.

We have a people-centric approach, we pay a lot of attention to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace and team, and we are committed to creating equal opportunities for all. As part of this mission, we updated our compensation and benefits policy to reflect our commitment to inclusivity. And we didn’t stop there. We’ve reviewed all our people practices and policies to ensure that they align with these values. Our HR team has been trained to be ambassadors of inclusive hiring, providing the right support to all candidates and to the team, empowering each colleague to be a supporter of change. And we are also considering how to reorganize our office spaces to better support our neurodivergent colleagues, helping them work and thrive in our environment. Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is structured among five key pillars that guide our strategy across the organization: gender, generations, neuro & physical diversity, LGBTQIA+, and cultural. These pillars help us address the needs of a diverse workforce, build inclusive policies and create an environment where all people feel they belong. Our commitment extends beyond our employees, to society as a whole, and we believe our company is strongest when we embrace the full spectrum of humanity, regardless of what we look like, where we come from or who we love.

This is why, moving forward, we place D&I at our core, with the ambition to strengthen our culture and employer brand, to promote equal opportunities, to build an inclusive customer experience and to raise awareness about diversity and inclusion. Together, we build a work environment based on care, involvement and belonging, criteria that go beyond age, gender, role, department, language or country, and where all people are accepted and respected.

4. What kind of internal training or educational programs does NN offer its employees to ensure and raise awareness about diversity and inclusion?

We have a clear human resources strategy and we continuously focus our attention on the experience we offer the team throughout their professional journey in the company. We develop programs and initiatives that support the personal and professional development of each colleague, in a flexible work environment that values talents and supports creativity, performance and inclusion.

Our D&I roadmap focuses on strengthening our internal culture and employer brand, raising awareness on all dimensions regarding diversity and inclusion, while challenging biases and ensuring inclusive leadership. Since 2021, NN Group has conducted a D&I cross-country benchmark, assessing the maturity of diversity, equity, and inclusion practices across all countries we operate in. The insights shape our local and group-wide initiatives. Since NN began its D&I journey, we’ve made significant efforts to raise awareness and understanding of what D&I means, what are the various forms of inclusivity and what are our commitments to neurodiversity and to the rights of people in disadvantaged categories.

Diversity and inclusion initiatives include workshops, awareness events and internal activities. We focus on building connections within the team and fostering a diverse culture and inclusive workplace. At the same time, we share information about D&I, we engage colleagues in the team and salesforce in volunteering activities for different disadvantaged categories and we collaborate with partners to promote D&I. NN Group also supports seven internal inclusion networks, such as the NN Pride Network, NN Neurodiversity Network, Women in IT, and Cultural Diversity Network, which promote diverse perspectives and provide safe spaces for dialogue and community building. For example, together with our partners at the Autism Voice Association we are developing a series of initiatives to raise awareness and build engagement in the team around neurodiversity. This is part of a broader initiative together with the Autism Voice Association, to support children and adults with autism spectrum disorders in benefiting from the therapies they need to better integrate in society and have more chances for an independent life.

As our commitment to D&I grows stronger each day, so do our efforts to train our employees and build a culture and environment where everyone feels they fit in and belong. Everything we do is designed to equip employees with the knowledge and skills necessary to contribute to an inclusive work environment.

5. In 2024, NN joined the Romanian Diversity Chamber of Commerce, the only chamber of commerce in the world focused on advocating for minority rights in business. What were the key reasons behind this decision, and how do you envision this partnership supporting your inclusivity goals?

Joining the Romanian Diversity Chamber of Commerce is yet another step part of NN’s solid D&I commitments. We truly appreciate RDCC’s efforts and work in advocating for minority rights in business and supporting the overall Romanian economy through the implementation of greater diversity and inclusion. We believe its mission, at the core, aligns closely with ours, and we know that, together, we can not only do more, but we can do better.

In 2024, NN Group was ranked 9th in the FT-Statista Diversity Leaders list (out of 850 companies) and 1st on gender equality in the Netherlands by Equileap, reflecting our commitment to structural and behavioral inclusion. For us, D&I isn’t just about focusing on the majority’s well-being; it’s about giving everyone a voice and putting the right effort into supporting those who are underrepresented. We recognize that we still have a lot of work to do to reach our goals. This means we need to keep learning, connecting, and building the right partnerships to continue growing as an organization, but also as a society. Moreover, we believe that success isn’t a solo endeavor. We can achieve much more by working together, sharing best practices, and driving projects across organizations. This is the power of the community that RDCC is building.