Recognizing this critical intersection of technology and inclusivity, CGI has positioned itself as a leader in fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DE&I) within the government sector. As state and local agencies grapple with digital transformation, CGI remains committed to leveraging its DE&I initiatives to fuel innovation and support its government clients in creating more inclusive and responsive public services.
Leading CGI's DE&I initiatives is Ryan Parker, Vice-President of Inclusive Solutions and Enablement. With more than two decades of business experience spanning IT, healthcare, higher education, and entertainment, Parker brings a wealth of cross-sector insights to the role. In a recent interview, Parker shed light on how CGI is leveraging its DE&I commitments to fuel innovation and support clients among state and local governments – a timely focus as these entities grapple with technological advancements and the need for inclusive digital transformation.
Q: Ryan, could you tell us about some ongoing initiatives at CGI that foster diversity, equity, and inclusion?
Ryan Parker: At CGI, DE&I is not just an initiative; it's woven into our organizational culture and how we innovate for our customers. One of our key focuses is cultivating an environment where inclusion, thriving and belonging are foundational to how we fuel innovation. Our leadership teams continuously reinforce the importance of behaviors that support an inclusive culture, and we’re excited about how these behaviors are now being extended to our partners.
We’re also heavily invested in workforce diversity and development. One example is our partnership with the University of Lafayette, through a National Science Foundation grant, to increase the number of underrepresented males entering STEM careers. Another initiative is the "IT Girl Challenge," which inspires young women to pursue STEM by engaging middle and high school students. Internally, we’ve implemented mentoring programs, such as the "Mentor Mosaic," to support emerging leaders, particularly women, as they develop the skills to drive innovation.
Q: CGI is a trusted partner for many state and local governments. How do your DE&I efforts support this work?
Ryan Parker: For state and local governments, diversity and inclusion aren't just buzzwords—they are essential to providing equitable services to diverse communities. Our DE&I approach allows us to better mirror the diversity of the populations these governments serve, which helps us innovate in more responsive and inclusive ways.
For example, we work closely with state agencies to develop tools that help identify and address disparities in service delivery and outcomes. One of our solutions in the Health and Human Services space, CGI Transcend™, has the capacity to build equity dashboards for social service agencies, enabling them to collect and analyze diversity data in more ethical and meaningful ways. This also helps agencies allocate resources more effectively to underserved and under-resourced communities.
Q: What challenges does CGI face in pushing forward with DE&I, especially in a changing business environment?
Ryan Parker: One of the most significant challenges is articulating the business case for DE&I in a climate where some organizations are retreating from these efforts. At CGI, we’ve seen firsthand that diversity and a sense of belonging drive innovation. Our industry thrives on innovation, and fostering a diverse, inclusive and thriving workforce is essential to being on the cutting edge. Studies have also consistently shown that inclusive workplaces with diverse teams are better at problem-solving because they have varied perspectives and experiences at the table.
The challenge—yet opportunity—is ensuring that DE&I is seen not as a “nice-to-have” but as a foundational element of our business. It’s important to move beyond seeing DE&I as a response to social pressure and instead view it as a key enabler of business success, particularly when it comes to serving our clients’ vastly diverse communities.
Q: Can you share any specific examples of how CGI has integrated DE&I into the solutions it delivers for clients?
Ryan Parker: Certainly. A great example is our work on juvenile justice for the State of Wisconsin. We developed a system that collects race and ethnicity data to help identify areas where certain groups are overrepresented within the justice system. This allows government agencies to target resources more effectively to reduce disproportionality in services delivered.
Another example is our partnership with Minnesota on a multi-state initiative, where we are helping state agencies develop solutions that address disproportionality in their services. These projects highlight how DE&I is not just about internal workforce initiatives—it’s also about building inclusive solutions that help our clients achieve more equitable outcomes for their beneficiaries, stakeholders and constituencies.
Lastly, our workforce diversity initiatives enable our goal to keep diverse perspectives in the loop when innovating for our clients. By ensuring our teams reflect diverse perspectives and lived experiences, we are more likely to anticipate and meet the needs of all constituents, not just a select few.
Q: How much is supplier diversity prioritized at CGI?
Ryan Parker: Supplier diversity is a significant priority for CGI and one of our strongest commitments in the diversity, equity, and inclusion space. Supplier diversity refers to our efforts to include historically underutilized businesses in our supply chain.
We've made it a point to actively engage with diverse suppliers. In fact, 34% of our procurement activities are with diverse suppliers. Small businesses fuel our economy, so investing in diverse and small businesses advances our commitment to contributing to economic growth for the middle class and underrepresented communities while also engaging untapped innovation in our supply chain.
For CGI, our supplier diversity focus isn’t just about meeting quotas; it's about recognizing the value these businesses bring to our operations and clients, especially in sectors like state and local government, where inclusive procurement is often a key priority.
Q: Looking ahead, how do you see CGI’s DE&I efforts evolving in the future?
Ryan Parker: As we look ahead, our focus will continue to be on linking DE&I more deliberately to our business strategy. DE&I will play an even greater role in how we innovate, engage with clients and grow as an organization. We’re committed to being more intentional in integrating DE&I as an enabler for growth—whether that’s growth in terms of client trust, market share or workforce development.
For CGI, DE&I isn’t just about representation; it’s about creating an environment where diversity fuels innovation and authenticates our pursuits to solve our clients’ greatest challenges. By aligning our DE&I efforts with our clients’ priorities and the needs of the communities they serve, we’ll help foster more equitable and sustainable outcomes across the board. It’s truly inspiring when you think about it.
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