Comerica Inc., the parent company of Dallas-based Comerica Bank, announced that it has established a new office of corporate responsibility with Wendy Bridges, senior vice president/corporate communications and executive administration, appointed to lead the department as executive vice president/executive director of corporate responsibility. Bridges reports directly to Curt Farmer, chairman and CEO, and serves on Comerica’s management executive committee.
“Corporate responsibility continues to increase in importance,” Farmer notes. “Bringing key environmental, social and governance [ESG] elements together under Wendy’s leadership underscores our dedication to protecting and preserving the environment; diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI); and serving and strengthening our communities.”
Comerica’s recent efforts in sustainability and DEI have garnered national recognition as the bank has been named to Newsweek’s list of “America’s Most Responsible Companies” and was recognized by Forbes as a “Best Employer for Women.”
“For years, Comerica has been proactive in matters related to our environment, the needs of our communities and customers, and the criticality of a diverse culture,” Bridges says. “The office of corporate responsibility allows us to centralize our collaborative ESG efforts into one department to create synergies, fresh ideas and standardized reporting, and reap the resulting benefits for our colleagues, communities, customers and planet.”
Last year, Comerica established its ESG Council, which includes leaders from across the bank to help define the most significant ESG issues for the company. In August, Comerica released its 13th consecutive Corporate Responsibility Report related to its ESG performance. In conjunction with the report, the bank established an ESG platform, which highlights its five key ESG commitments:
- Providing access to capital focused on underserved communities, women, minorities and small businesses;
- Promoting a diverse, inclusive and equitable workforce
- Investing in financial education for underserved communities;
- Addressing climate change; and
- Enhancing ESG-related product and service solutions
Bridges joined Comerica in 2008 as the senior vice president/corporate communications and added the role of manager/executive administration in 2010. Her responsibilities expanded in 2016 to include corporate contributions and external affairs and, since that time, have continued to increase in scope. In her new role, Bridges will gain oversight of corporate sustainability, which focuses on environmental issues most relevant to Comerica’s business, and government relations. She will continue her current responsibilities, which include overseeing external affairs, corporate contributions, corporate quality, corporate communications and executive administration. Bridges holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Texas–Austin. She serves on Dallas CASA’s Children’s Council board.
Established in 1849, Comerica Bank operates approximately 440 banking offices in Texas, Arizona, California, Florida and Michigan, with select businesses operating in several other states, as well as in Canada and Mexico.
