On Oct. 19, CEOs from Wells Fargo and Operation HOPE hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to welcome the community to the nation’s first redesigned Wells Fargo branch with a focus on programs and resources for individuals who are “unbanked.” Gigi Dixon, head of external affairs engagement for Wells Fargo, is leading the charge in the company’s progressive initiatives to serve and engage communities of color.
Dixon spoke with rolling out about her role at Wells Fargo and why financial health is important.
Tell us about your role at Wells Fargo.
I focus every day all day with my team on our national partnerships, and we manage a portfolio of national relationships that span from the NAACP, to the National Urban League to LULAC for the Hispanic community, and others that cover all of the diverse segments. It’s exciting for me personally, because this is where I’ve come from in my life and my career and I never imagined that I would be on the Management Committee of one of the largest banks in the world, but that’s what education can do for you. I believe that the work that I do is really important to the bank. It’s really important to communities. It’s at a national scale, and it’s absolutely important to me, because it’s my passion.
Why is financial health important?
It’s very important to have financial health, and then to build wealth from having that financial health, but it starts somewhere. It starts with educating yourself around finance, understanding what role money needs to play in your life, and also understanding that money should work for you and not you necessarily always work for money. I think it is critical, because when we are able to pay bills, when we are able to take care of our family, when we have a home to live in, then we personally can be even more healthy physically and emotionally.
