Press Room

Event will highlight bold business practices that are changing the face of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) initiatives

Boston, MA – April 28, 2021 — Nicsa, a leading global asset management trade organization, will be hosting its inaugural Fearless Leadership Symposium virtually on June 16-17. The Fearless Leadership Symposium is the first and only national conference focusing solely on DEI issues specific to the global asset management and funds industry.

This pivotal two-day event will bring together senior business executives to explore how inclusive leadership can enhance productivity, promote growth, and impact the bottom line. The symposium will highlight bold business practices that aim to support the long-term sustainability of the global asset management industry.

Attendees will hear from industry visionaries via powerful keynotes, interactive panel discussions, and succinct “Lightning Talks” aimed at empowering business leaders to “own” DEI issues and embed inclusion into the day-to-day fabric of how they run their businesses — ideals synonymous with Nicsa’s Diversity Project North America.

Featured speakers include:

·       Sandy Bolton, Managing Director, Head of Managed Investments - Investment Solutions, Bank of America Merrill Lynch

·       Marc Brookman, Chief Executive Officer, Schroders North America

·       Mandell L. Crawley, Chief of Human Resources, Morgan Stanley

·       George Gatch, Chief Executive Officer J.P. Morgan Asset Management

·       Kim Hyland, Managing Director, Head of US Relationship Management Team, MFS Investment Management

·       Lisa Jones, Head of the Americas, President and Chief Executive Officer, Amundi US, Inc.

·       Frieda Lewis, Chief Commercial Diversity Officer, Broadridge Financial Solutions

·       Jun Li, Co-Leader Americas Wealth & Asset Management Sector, EY

·       George Madrigal, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Penserra

·       Cassie McCarthy, Manager, EY’s Wealth and Asset Management Consulting Practice

·       Angela Miller-May, Chief Investment Officer, Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund

·       Kristi Mitchem, Chief Executive Officer, BMO Global Asset Management

·       Justine Phoenix, Head of Diversity Project North America, Nicsa

·       Hiren Shukla, Director - Automation & Innovation, Neuro-Diverse Center of Excellence, EY

·       Kavya Vaghul, Senior Director of Research, JUST Capital

·       George Wilbanks, Managing Partner, Wilbanks Partners, LLC

·       Shawn T. Wooden, Connecticut State Treasurer

Additional speakers are still being confirmed for this event. For a full, up-to-date list of speakers, click here. More details about the agenda and other exciting aspects of the Fearless Leadership Symposium can be viewed here.

During the symposium, winners of Nicsa’s Rising Star Program will be recognized. Honorees are diverse, emerging leaders within the industry that embody the values of the Diversity Project North America and demonstrate a commitment and intentionality for change. Nicsa’s Diversity Project North America (DPNA) is committed to providing mentorship, networking, and career development opportunities to diverse, aspiring leaders in the asset management industry. The Rising Star Program offers DPNA member firms a meaningful way to celebrate and cultivate the next generation of diverse leaders.

Firms interested in examining the current state of DEI within the industry and creating an aggressive path forward should contact Kelly Sherrard of Nicsa at [email protected]; media interested in attending this event should contact Allison Lovett at [email protected]; and firms interested in joining Nicsa’s Diversity Project North America should contact Justine Phoenix at [email protected]. View members of the Diversity Project here.

About Nicsa 

Nicsa is a not-for-profit trade association striving to connect all facets of the global asset management industry in order to develop, share, implement, and advance leading practices.  For over fifty years, Nicsa has promoted an open and collaborative environment, where members’ and partners’ deep expertise and unique perspectives have come together to help strategically implement and support the industry’s most vital issues. Click here for more information about membership.

Nicsa aims to help firms operating in all segments of the global asset management industry meet the changing needs of their clients by aligning and educating industry participants through formal education programs, interactive forums, networking opportunities, and initiatives such as the Diversity Project North America.

About Diversity Project North America

The Diversity Project North America promotes 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. We aim to achieve diversity across all dimensions through collaborative leadership from executive business leaders pooling resources from industry participants around challenges we all face.

The Project spans the entire range of the profession: asset managers, fund complexes, asset servicers, broker dealers, asset owners and professional service firms that support the industry. We seek to share best practices, identify gaps in our industry and initiate action to help solve or improve those inadequacies.

We strive to deepen the understanding and perception of what the asset management industry entails and the varied roles within it, to encourage a broader range of new candidates. 

###

#PressRelease
#DiversityProject
#DiversityandInclusion
#PR-DiversityandInclusion

​​​​