Sandra Quince, senior vice president at Bank of America and NextUp board member, sat down for a video interview at Nareit’s REITwise: 2026 Educational Conference in Hollywood, Florida.
Quince emphasized a shift in how companies—particularly REITs—should evaluate workforce performance to signal long-term enterprise value. Investors are increasingly focused on metrics that directly connect talent to business outcomes, such as leadership bench strength, internal mobility, retention of high performers, and productivity per employee., she explained. However, many organizations still rely too heavily on activity-based measures like training hours or diversity headcount, rather than outcome-driven indicators like succession readiness and revenue impact.
To build credibility with boards and investors, companies must adopt forward-looking metrics, including succession coverage, time-to-readiness for emerging leaders, and equitable promotion rates, Quince said. She highlighted that inclusion and leadership depth are critical for resilience, but must be demonstrated through measurable advancement, not just representation.
Effective communication is another key theme: companies should present clear, consistent, and outcome-based disclosures tied to business performance, avoiding vague or overly aspirational language.
“It’s not enough just to support and provide development—it’s also about the advancement,” Quince said. Ultimately, measurable progress in leadership pipelines—especially for women and diverse talent—is essential for sustained growth and investor confidence, she noted.
For more information on the work of NextUp, visit www.nextupisnow.org.