Diversity, equity and inclusion efforts have taken center stage in corporate governance over the past few years, and commercial real estate is no exception.  And for Stephanie Wiggins, an CRE finance industry vet who joined PGIM Real Estate last year as Head of Production, Agency Lending, stakeholders across the commercial real estate spectrum must continue to hold one another accountable and share best practices for DE&I initiatives to truly thrive. 

Wiggins will expand on those thoughts as she moderates the Fireside Chat: Taking Charge of Your DE&I initiatives at the upcoming WOI conference in Deer Valley alongside panelists Lisa Hurd, Chief Investment Officer, RADCO and  Nashunda Williams, Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, JLL.

"The leaders in the industry and our advocacy groups are all keenly focused on DEI, and that's been borne out of painful moments, quite frankly, whether it's the treatment of women spotlighted by the Me Too movement or the racial and social inequities that have really come into focus," says Wiggins, who is responsible for overseeing PGIM's originations for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, and affordable multifamily loans. "Young people in particular are really pushing up to question the way we live and work, and they found their voices during a very difficult time, the pandemic."