Inside the Circles: Celebrating Earth Month

04/26/23 • 9 min

The latest episode of "Inside the Circles" will honor Earth Month, focusing on Mastercard’s ESG priorities, the changes we’re making to our office spaces to become green-certified and how employees can feel empowered to combat environmental issues.

Host Latoya Bennett-Johnson, vice president, Global Sponsorships, spoke with two of our sustainability experts, Sia Xeros, vice president, Environmental Sustainability and Erin Goodhand, director, Sustainability to explore their personal journeys and passion for sustainability, as well as discussing how we can make sustainability more accessible for individuals and communities around the world.

We believe that everyone has a role to play in creating a more sustainable future. According to recent Mastercard sustainability research, 85% of consumers are willing to take personal action to combat environmental and sustainability issues. Mastercard is honoring Earth Month by making action more accessible for individuals, so they feel empowered to contribute and giving them opportunities to be part of the solution.

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What Pride Month means at Mastercard

We’re celebrating Pride Month on “Inside on the Circles.” For this edition, we’re joined by technical program manager Mark O’Looney and vice president, social impact communications, Allison Kahn. (You may also be familiar with Mark and his story through his ever-growing Instagram account ‘Two Men and a Surrogacy’).

Mark and Allison will join host Latoya Bennett-Johnson for a discussion on their career journeys, the importance of equity and inclusivity in the workplace, what Pride Month means to them and Mastercard’s commitment to supporting the LGBTQ+ community.

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‘It takes a lot of strength to ask for help’: A conversation about mental health and the military

The pandemic sparked many changes in how we live and work, and among them is how we now center mental health and wellbeing in our lives. Mastercard’s own Future of Work initiatives support the ways people show up as their authentic selves, with the flexibility and understanding to do what’s best for their wellbeing.

On the latest episode of “Inside the Circles,” Mastercard’s podcast about the future of work and the topics of now, host Latoya Bennett-Johnson chats with Schawn Branch, a lead program manager in our Data & Services business and a co-lead for our SALUTE Business Resource Group for veterans, about what can often be a drastic transition for former military members.

A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point who joined Mastercard after a 28-year career in U.S. Army, Branch is passionate about helping those serving find opportunities for employment after leaving the military. He was hired following a 12-week corporate fellowship with the Hiring Our Heroes program that gave him the opportunity work at Mastercard while still enlisted.

The conversation about mental health in the military has evolved significantly, Branch says, from being something not discussed to now being talked about openly. “It takes a lot of strength to ask for help,” he says.