Michael Cheong-Leen

About Michael Cheong-Leen

Michael is a veteran and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion professional. He has 14 years of experience: 8 years of professional, civilian experience leading programs in middle and back office in the private sector and nonprofits and 6 years of analysis and advisory roles in US Army psychological operations. Michael specializes in strategic workforce planning, process improvement, and demographic analysis. He leverages Lean Six Sigma and agile methods to help leadership and middle management drive change across the organization and navigate cultural needs. Michael draws on 7 years of experience working with nonprofits and advising small businesses to transform his community through service, environmental sustainability, and veteran support. In his free time, Michael plays the piano at nursing homes and mentors veterans and students as they start their careers.

Experience

1. Director of Dei

   Umpqua Bank

   Jan 2023 — Present · Tacoma, WA, US

   Create and operationalize enterprise DEI strategy for workforce, community, and customer stakeholder groups, introducing comprehensive action plan to make Umpqua Bank the bank of choice for diverse communities across workplace and marketplace- Develop enterprise DEI governance and structure including a DEI Council with ELT membership, a DEI Center of Excellence with practitioners, and launch of 5 Associate Resource Groups (ARGs)- Create DEI Strategic Grants program and DEI Community Partners strategy to evolve enterprise philanthropy and community service from cause basis to impact focus- Activate bank’s first supplier diversity program, empowering equitable vendor selection through data driven policy updates and new system implementation- Introduce accountability framework to measure and report workforce demographics and program and benefits participation rates- Create a diverse segments strategy with commercial bank leadership to align enterprise growth strategy with emerging demographic trends across the United States.

Education

• University of Chicago

  European History

• San Diego State University-California State University

  Bachelor’s Degree, Industrial and Organizational Psychology