“Business development is in my genes,” says James Thompson, whose two-decade career in the financial services industry includes experience with annuities, retirement and marketing asset management to insurance companies. He also has been a champion of diversity and inclusion in financial services long before that became a formal corporate goal. In his role as head of diverse markets strategy within the private wealth management area at AllianceBernstein, Thompson is able to combine those two passions. “Everything I do is intentionally focused on addressing equity and how we promote, hire and invest with intent and purpose,” said Thompson, who persuaded top management to create his current position in 2018. He describes his job as using a 360-degree lens not only to encourage diversity in hiring and training, but also to broaden efforts to take into account the perspectives, needs and values of multicultural high-net-worth individuals, families, business owners, institutions and nonprofit organizations.

In addition to forming and leading groups that support minority advisers and financial analysts at the firm, Thompson launched a podcast, “Changing the Trajectory,” to encourage diversity in the financial services industry. “My whole existence has been about ensuring an equitable environment,” he said.

Evan Cooper