Diversity is a priority for the leaders of the Plocher Financial Group because of the ethnic diversity of the Los Angeles region, and the firm is seeing results of its focused recruiting efforts. About half of its new advisers brought on last year were people of color and nearly a third were women, said Chau Le, the firm’s chief operating officer. Plocher also has created several councils focused on diversity and inclusion, which aim to be a safe and supportive space for collaboration beyond the day-to-day business. The councils — which include those focused on African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, women and LGBTQ — also provide feedback to leadership on ways to improve the organization, Le said. New team members are invited to participate as soon as they join the firm.
But the firm’s executives don’t pretend to have figured it all out. “Our challenge in the next five years is to create the inclusion piece, so when you step foot in here you have a positive experience that values your unique contribution,” Le said.
Contact Matt Plocher, managing partner, at matt.plocher@nm.com to learn more about Plocher Financial Group’s diversity and inclusion initiatives.
— Liz Skinner