A Message from Ralph Andretta, President and CEO of Alliance Data

It is a great feeling when you set an organization in the right direction and the momentum starts to build. That spirit is energizing Alliance Data as we redefine our identity and vision, and embark on a renewed go-forward strategy in 2021 and beyond.

Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are boldly executing on the business transformation and are confident in our return to sustained, profitable growth. All the while, we remain steadfast in our principled approach to operating as a responsible global organization.

The latter is the essence of Alliance Data’s 2020 ESG Performance Report, showing it is not just what we are doing to drive performance that counts, but how we are doing it. Our Company remains committed to creating long-term value for our business, associates, clients, shareholders and society at large.

Central to this effort was the assessment undertaken in 2020 to identify the priorities that our stakeholders believe to be critical to Alliance Data’s successful performance and sustainability. We are using the results to establish new near- and long-term goals that reinforce our commitment to managing our Company’s material issues with a balanced focus on our people, planet and profit.

Senior leaders across our organization, along with members of our Board, are engaged in this process. We have identified opportunities and launched plans to add value, strengthen governance, raise our standards, address emerging risks and further prioritize in areas including our human capital management, such as diversity, equity and inclusion.

A key learning reinforced in the past year is that cultivating a more inclusive, equitable and diverse workplace is not only right and just, but critical to attracting and retaining top talent and fostering a culture of innovation and success. Our commitment here continues to be recognized. For a third consecutive year, Alliance Data was selected for the annual Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, which distinguishes companies committed to transparency in gender reporting and advancing women’s equality. In 2020, we were also named as one of Forbes’ Best Employers for Diversity. 

When I joined the Company in February 2020, little did I know it would be a year of such unprecedented challenges. I am proud to say that not only have we persevered through the depths of the pandemic — we are stronger for it. We have succeeded in this crisis environment because of our committed associates’ contributions, principled approach and responsible operating tenets. Said differently, our sustainability strategy proved again to be the bedrock of our resiliency and performance. As we continue to execute against our transformation strategy, we remain laser-focused on the priorities that our key stakeholders identified as critical to Alliance Data’s long-term success. I hope you find this report informative and illustrative of our commitments across environmental, social and governance areas, all of which drive our continued future success and growth.

Thank you for your interest in our Company.

Read the full report here.