Lejla has been actively engaged in BNY Mellon’s Diversity and Inclusion programmes for over 10 years, first as a member, then a mentor, and now a leader at the regional and global levels. She currently chairs BNY Mellon Pittsburgh IMPACT BRG focused on the recruitment, promotion and retention of multi-cultural employees. She is also the Global COO providing executive support and governance for IMPACT globally. Lejla continues to mentor employees with IMPACT and the Women’s Initiative Network (WIN). She co-created the WIN GROW, a seven month mentoring programme focused on promoting women to leadership positions. Lejla participated as a panellist in BNY Mellon’s WIN 2019 International Women’s Day Pittsburgh event to speak about her experiences and thoughts on how the company can “Balance for Better”, highlighting the importance of gender-balanced boardrooms, politics and education, and the significance of intentional actions. She’s particularly focused on intentionality as it relates to women of colour. Externally, Lejla mentors middle school refugee girls from Nepal, Thailand and Africa through SHIM, where she is also a board member. She works to encourage girls into the STEM field through innovative exercises, and has organised women speakers from diverse cultures to further inspire the girls. She and the other mentors discuss the challenges of navigating the world as an ethnic minority woman, and many young women who go through the programme end up in higher education.