Organized by NICSA, a nonprofit trade association in the investment management industry, the Diversity Project North America is an industry-wide initiative that aims to accelerate DEI and advance diverse mid- and higher-level employees through a variety of efforts. These include benchmarking, education and outreach, events, industry and member engagement and efforts to identify and develop the next generation of leaders at member firms. “It’s clear that diversity, equity and inclusion are business imperatives to succeed in the asset management industry. Research has shown that organizations with diverse and inclusive cultures are more likely to be high performing, innovative and achieve better business outcomes. Our goal is to promote a diverse and inclusive asset management industry with the right talent to deliver the best possible results for our clients, reflect the society we serve, and ensure long-term business sustainability,” said Justine Phoenix, head of Diversity Project North America.
Current programs include Listen, Learn & Lead, a series of educational webinars, podcasts and videos that highlight diverse voices in the industry; an annual DEI Perception Survey; Rising Stars, a mentorship, networking and career development program for diverse, aspiring leaders; and the Fearless Leadership Symposium, the first and only national conference focusing solely on DEI issues specific to the global asset management and fund industry.
Contact: Allison Lovett, VP of content and communications, alovett@nicsa.org.
— Evan Cooper