PRA Group, a global leader in acquiring and collecting nonperforming loans, celebrated the launch of its Black Excellence Employee Resource Group (ERG). Black Excellence will provide a space where PRA Group colleagues can engage in a community that celebrates and embraces Black culture around the globe.
Of the publicly traded financial services company’s three employee resource groups active in the U.S., Black Excellence is the first global ERG. National Managing Attorney Zulema Green and Global Controller Neal Petrovich serve as the group’s executive co-sponsors.
Green eagerly anticipates the group’s potential to encourage its members’ personal and professional development, as well as their sense of belonging. “I am excited to sponsor a safe space to demonstrate Black Excellence at its finest, and my hope is that it will allow members to become the best versions of themselves,” said Green.
The virtual launch celebration included more than 100 PRA Group employees from across the company’s global operation. The Black Excellence ERG leadership team, which includes four additional PRA Group employees, set the tone with a video featuring PRA Group employees defining what Black Excellence means to them. The event launched with an introduction from Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Human Resources Officer LaTisha Tarrant, and engaged participants through thoughtful conversations and introspective activities that infused Black history and cultural conversations to allow participants to build a sense of community across the globe.
“The cultural connection of Black experience transcends location and race to extend across the globe, so the timing of this launch during the holiday season—a time of family and togetherness—is perfect,” says Green. Both Green and Petrovich look forward to beginning the new year with this ERG, and to celebrating the quickly approaching cultural milestones of Martin Luther King Day and Black History Month together.
Petrovich also highlights the importance of cultivating understanding and empathy among employees irrespective of race and identity. “I am proud to be part of our Black Excellence ERG,” said Petrovich. “Because PRA Group operates as one team worldwide, we are passionate not only about creating this global community, but also about the ways it will bolster our efforts to foster allyship and advocacy for Black culture throughout the company.”
Additional PRA Group ERGs include Women in Business Advocates, which began in the U.S. as a counterpart to its European Women’s Affinity Network, and the company’s Mental and Emotional Well-Being ERG, both of which launched in 2022. Each of these has seen great success developing mentorship networks, coordinating philanthropic initiatives and creating opportunities for every employee to be themselves and be their best.
Head of Diversity and Inclusion Tara Borchers connects the launch of the newest ERG with PRA Group’s broader commitment to the well-being and engagement of its workforce. “We continue to focus on building a sense of belonging at PRA Group and believe that ERGs help to nurture an inclusive culture,” she says. “It’s a part of the fabric of what we value at PRA Group—a community full of people who learn from and care for each other.”
