Boston, MA – August 9, 2021 – InvestmentNews has recognized Nicsa’s Diversity Project North America as a 2021 Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Awards finalist. Diversity Project North America, along with 15 other firms and initiatives, were chosen from more than 120 nominations by a committee of InvestmentNews representatives and judges from the advice business. Diversity Project North America was recognized for its ability to inspire others from diverse backgrounds to join, flourish and bring their true selves to the financial services industry.
InvestmentNews is proud to introduce the fourth annual Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion recognition program. It aims to tell the story of individuals and firms using their success, leadership skills, and willingness to implement and advocate for diversity and inclusion within the financial advisory industry.
“The initiatives highlighted by these honored firms serve as examples of what businesses within the financial advice industry should be striving for when it comes to creating a diverse and inclusive culture,” said Liz Skinner, special projects editor of InvestmentNews.
Diversity Project North America, along with the other firms, initiatives, and individuals making the fourth annual Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion list, is highlighted in the Aug. 9 issue of InvestmentNews and online at dandiIN.com.
To learn more about Diversity Project North America and the other 2021 winners and finalists, please visit dandiIN.com.
About InvestmentNews
InvestmentNews is the leading source for news, analysis and information essential to the financial advisory community. Since 1998, our standard of editorial excellence and deep industry knowledge has allowed us to educate, inform and engage the most influential financial advisers. Through a weekly newspaper, website, newsletters, research, events, videos, webcasts and podcasts, InvestmentNews provides exclusive and up-to-the-minute news, as well as actionable intelligence, that empowers financial advisers to serve their clients and run their businesses more effectively whenever, however and wherever they need it.
The InvestmentNews headquarters are located in New York, with an office in Washington D.C.
InvestmentNews is part of Bonhill Group Plc.
About Nicsa and Diversity Project North America
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. The Diversity Project’s goal is to accelerate progress towards a diverse and inclusive culture in the asset management industry to deliver the best possible results for clients, reflect the society we serve, and ensure long-term business sustainability. Click here for more information on Nicsa’s Diversity Project North America initiative.
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Boston, MA – June 16, 2021 – Nicsa is pleased to announce the winners of its Rising Star Program, a new mentorship and awards program aimed at providing networking and career development opportunities to diverse, aspiring leaders in the asset management industry. Read “Nicsa’s Diversity Project North America Launches DEI Mentorship and Awards Program.”
Nicsa’s Diversity Project North America recognizes the importance of supporting emerging leaders by creating a program that not only provides recognition and exposure for diverse employees, but develops and hones the skills critical for retention and advancement of valued talent within the industry.
The Winners are:
Rising Stars were recognized at the Fearless Leadership Symposium, hosted by Nicsa's Diversity Project North America on June 16-17, 2021.
In addition, each Rising Star will receive career coaching via a nationally recognized leadership development program; networking opportunities with senior leaders from Nicsa member firms; and invitations to specialized inclusive leadership training.
The Rising Star Program, as part of the Fearless Leadership Symposium, is planned to be an annual program. Questions about the Program, the Symposium, or how to join the Diversity Project North America can be sent to [email protected].
About Diversity Project North America
The Diversity Project’s goal is to accelerate progress towards a diverse and inclusive culture in the asset management industry to deliver the best possible results for clients, reflect the society we serve, and ensure long-term business sustainability. Click here for more information on Nicsa’s Diversity Project North America initiative.
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.
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Among the many devastating effects of the ongoing pandemic is a disheartening rise in harassment and attacks on the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.
The nonprofit organization Stop AAPI Hate — which tracks incidents of hate and discrimination against the AAPI community in the U.S. — saw an increase in reports from 3,795 to 6,603 during March 2021 alone.
The healing of racial wounds begins with honest and often uncomfortable conversations. Nicsa’s Diversity Project North America fostered such a dialogue during a recent event focusing on the AAPI community’s experience within the asset management industry. Nicsa and Diversity Project North America members can access the replay here.
“The AAPI community is very diverse, so by no means can we speak on behalf of all AAPI,” cautioned York Lo, Head of Institutional and Retirement Product Development at John Hancock. “But myself and the panelists agree that we are bringing our unique experiences and our authentic selves to the conversation.”
Lo moderated the panel, which also featured industry leaders from American Century and Northern Trust Global Advisors, Inc.
Addressing the AAPI Leadership Gap
Panelists agreed that across industries, AAPI professionals are relatively well represented in terms of independent, analytical roles. But the same cannot be said about the executive level.
“The asset management industry is so diverse — there’s so much intelligence, academia, personality — but when you’re talking about that proverbial glass ceiling, yes, it absolutely exists for the AAPI community,” said Alice Fang, President and CEO at Northern Trust Global Advisors, Inc. “Society has this view of Asians as the model minority — we’re hard-working, intelligent, independent, and prosperous. But nowhere in that description do we hear anything about leadership.”
Wayne Park, SVP, Personal Financial Solutions at American Century, spoke to finding and using one’s voice.
“You want to have merit, of course, but not wait for that merit to speak for itself,” he said. “Letting those with decision-making power know of your ambition and what you would like to pursue is important. Don’t ask for permission; ask with persuasion authentic to who you are. And do it with conviction. You have to believe your own argument.”
Fang recommended nurturing a sense of curiosity about what other people in the industry do for a living and the challenges they face.
“It’s about getting out of your comfort zone,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re Asian or otherwise — we all get stuck in our comfort zones. It’s human nature. Taking chances is critical.”
As recent events increase the visibility of AAPI discrimination, Park said it’s important that the community move beyond simple coping.
“The word ‘coping’ assumes you’re yielding, at that’s a change we have to make,” he said. “You shouldn’t have to quickly cope. Yes, it’s important. Yes, you need to process it. But you shouldn’t have to accept it.”
Fang agreed. “That’s why this conversation is important,” she said. “When you have the time to reflect, that’s when you realize you’ve endured more than you think.”
She said that the discrimination she’s experienced within the AAPI community tends to be subtle in terms of being treated dismissively or even excluded by people. Part of the solution, she said, involves standing up and saying, ‘I belong.’
“One way to do that is to pay it forward — be a mentor, be a voice, be a leader, and create pathways for individuals at different stages of their careers,” Fang said.
Industrywide Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) Efforts
“From our firm’s perspective, DE&I is really top-down and bottom-up in terms of a practice,” Fang said. “And it is very much about practicing. Our corporate culture ensures that we really engage at all levels of the organization through things like employee resource groups across the global footprint.”
The company also embeds DE&I in its investment practices, such as working with minority-owned brokerages and suppliers. Recruitment is also critical.
“Part of diversity the workforce is ensuring that people know there are careers in this industry that are accessible to them. To that end, we work with many organizations in our communities to drive DE&I from the start.”
Parks said he’s excited about the recent developments in DE&I at his firm, such as the appointment of a new head of talent and diversity.
“The next evolution for American Century and all of us is to take the good energy that has been awakened during the past few years and go beyond discussion and engagement — channeling that, deliberately, into the outcome you want. The outcomes is fairly straightforward — that each person feels like they can contribute, perform based on their abilities, and be recognized without the structural limitations of race, gender, sexual orientation, and age.”
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Nicsa’s Fearless Leadership Symposium – the first and only national conference focusing solely on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) issues specific to the global asset management and fund industry – is set to take place June 16-17. The program will bring together senior business executives to explore how inclusive leadership can enhance productivity, promote growth, and impact the bottom line.
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 (DPNA).
Featured speakers include:
Sandy Bolton (Moderator)
Managing Director, Head of Managed Investments - Investment Solutions, Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Marc Brookman
Chief Executive Officer, Schroders North America
Mandell Crawley
Chief Human Resources Officer, Morgan Stanley
Sharon Epperson (Moderator)
Senior Personal Finance Correspondent, CNBC
George Gatch
Chief Executive Officer, J.P. Morgan Asset Management
Shelly Heier
President, Senior Consultant, Verus Investments
Kim Hyland (Moderator)
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 Asset Management
Justine Phoenix (Moderator)
VP, Distribution & Broker Dealer Engagement, Head of Diversity Project North America, Nicsa
Hiren Shukla
Director - Automation & Innovation, Neuro-Diverse Center of Excellence, EY
Shundrawn Thomas
President, Northern Trust Asset Management
Sue Thompson
Head of Americas Distribution for SPDR ETFs, SSGA
Kavya Vaghul
Senior Director of Research, JUST Capital
Richard Weil
Chief Executive Officer, Janus Henderson Investors
George Wilbanks (Moderator)
Managing Partner, Wilbanks Partners, LLC
J. Womack
Managing Director - Investment Products and Services, SEI
Shawn T. Wooden
Connecticut State Treasurer
Paul Zettl
Head of Global Marketing, Chief Marketing Officer, Cohen & Steers
Click here to preview the two-day agenda, Registration for the event is at the firm level, with unlimited registrations per corporate pass. Check here to see if your firm is registered, or contact us to initiate a corporate registration.
Boston, MA – May 25, 2021 – Nicsa, a leading trade association dedicated to fostering dialogue and connecting all aspects of the global asset management industry, today announced the launch of a new committee as it further expands its reach across all business lines of the global industry: the Nicsa International Committee.
The Nicsa International Committee will provide a forum for discussion, and presentation of programs on, global issues affecting the fund industry and Nicsa’s membership. The committee will focus on issues such as distribution, regulation, trading and fund structures in both the U.S. and international markets and will provide support to Nicsa members that are looking to enter the U.S. from abroad or enter markets outside of the U.S.
The Committee is chaired by:
A vast array of firms across the asset management industry are represented on Nicsa committees including leading asset managers, broker dealers, custodian banks, transfer agents, and other professional service firms including audit, tax, law, technology, marketing, and compliance.
“Nicsa established the International Committee in order to build a platform for constructive networking and to provide a sounding board for best practices related to global industry issues. We’re excited to have a dedicated approach to international matters of interest to the Nicsa members.,” said Jim Fitzpatrick, President & CEO of Nicsa.
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. The Diversity Project’s goal is to accelerate progress towards a diverse and inclusive culture in the asset management industry to deliver the best possible results for clients, reflect the society we serve, and ensure long-term business sustainability. Click here for more information on Nicsa’s Diversity Project North America initiative.
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Boston, MA – May 11, 2021 – Nicsa announced the election of thirteen new Committee Chairs who will each help support the nonprofit’s work to advance leading practices within the global asset management industry.
Nicsa supports a variety of committees that are open to all employees of member firms, providing an excellent opportunity for all divisions, all departments, and all levels of management to participate in the development of industry solutions across myriad business lines. View full list of Nicsa Committees here.
Committee Chairs are the visionaries responsible for establishing and tracking the mission of Nicsa Committees, as well as presiding over activities and content generation. Committee members include asset managers, broker dealers, custodian banks, transfer agents, and other professional service firms including audit, tax, law, technology, marketing, and compliance professionals.
The list of newly elected Chairs include:
Compliance & Risk Management
Stephanie Tyler, Franklin Templeton
Data Analytics
Brian Foote, Broadridge
Diversity Project Education Engagement and Outreach Committee
Gary Casagrande, Confluence
Suzanne Cullinane, Janus Henderson Investments
Diversity Project North America Events
Donelle Chisolm, American Century
Emily Lawrence, Northern Trust
Diversity Project North America Next Practices
Ofelia Potter, Northern Trust
Fearless Leadership Symposium
Cheryl Boyd, EY
Anna Penn, Invesco
Fund & Investor Services
Andy Schlueter, Voya
NextGen
Lesley-Anne Archibald, Baillie Gifford
Nick Lombardo, Citi
Technology & Innovation
Gary Casagrande, Confluence
“We’re excited to welcome these new Committee Chairs who will bring their expertise and insight to Nicsa’s mission. I’d also like to thank those professionals that are rolling off of Committee appointments. Their efforts have been instrumental in advancing best practices in the industry we all serve,” said Jim Fitzpatrick, President & CEO of Nicsa.
In recognition of past service:
Compliance & Risk Management
Mark Trenchard, Putnam Investments
Data Analytics
Brad Moore, BNY Mellon
Fund Administration Committee
Victoria McGowan
Fund & Investor Services
Marty Griffin, Northeast Retirement Services
Industry Engagement Committee, Diversity Project North America
Maggie Sullivan, BlackRock
Strategic Leadership Forum committee
Larry Fahey, Eaton Vance
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. The Diversity Project’s goal is to accelerate progress towards a diverse and inclusive culture in the asset management industry to deliver the best possible results for clients, reflect the society we serve, and ensure long-term business sustainability. Click here for more information on Nicsa’s Diversity Project North America initiative.
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Nicsa’s Rising Star Program, a new mentorship and awards program aimed at providing networking and career development opportunities to diverse, aspiring leaders in the asset management industry, is underway! Members of Nicsa’s Diversity Project North America are currently selecting nominees for consideration, and winners will be announced at the Fearless Leadership Symposium in June.
To watch a video outlining the program, click here.
And, here’s a quick look at some frequently asked questions about this new and exciting program:
FAQs
We are looking forward to celebrating and cultivating the next generation of diverse leaders in the global asset management industry!
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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:
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.
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Boston, MA – April 22, 2021 – Nicsa’s Diversity Project North America has partnered with LGBT Great on the release of Holding Up the Mirror: Diversity Data in the Investment, Wealth Management and Savings Industry, a survey of investment, wealth management and savings industry organizations on the collection and usage of DEI data (supported by EY).
As part of its mission to accelerate DEI in the asset management industry, Nicsa’s Diversity Project North America partnered with LGBT Great to deliver a comprehensive report of the survey findings to the global asset management industry. The report seeks to evaluate the current state of diversity data collection, provide insights from global HR on current challenges and recommendations, and share industry-specific good practice case studies on progress initiatives.
The research report was launched globally on April 22 and was supported by EY, with contributions by Diversity Project UK and Diversity Project North America.
Justine Phoenix, Head of Diversity Project North America stated, “The Diversity Project North America has developed a strong and beneficial relationship with LGBT Great and we are proud to partner with them on this initiative. The research acts to illuminate the challenges – and hopefully to offer some solutions around – the collection and usage of DEI data in the industry. This is a fast-moving and evolving element of industry DEI progress and we feel the timing and findings of this report are critical to success.”
Commenting on the report, Matt Cameron, Global Managing Director, LGBT Great said: “The investment, wealth management and savings industry has made limited progress with regards to the collection of diversity data and efforts have been largely disparate. The stakes are high and not just limited to talent, but organizations are also at risk of losing business reputation and underperforming commercially with inadequate diversity data. This bold new report not only aims to exposure the shortcomings and suggest new ideas, it also seeks to lay the foundations for future works to come”.
Survey results were shared via virtual programming offered to Diversity Project North America members. The report is available via LGBT Great’s research page, as well as nicsa.org.
Additional information about the survey can be found in the release distributed by Diversity Project UK.
About Diversity Project North America
The Diversity Project’s goal is to accelerate progress towards a diverse and inclusive culture in the asset management industry to deliver the best possible results for clients, reflect the society we serve, and ensure long-term business sustainability. Click here for more information on Nicsa’s Diversity Project North America initiative. Information about the UK chapter of the Diversity Project UK, which also contributed to the report referenced in this release, can be found 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.
About LGBT Great
LGBT Great is a corporate membership organization that specializes in developing diversity and inclusion within the global financial services industry. Our vision is for our industry to become the most trusted sector of choice of LGBT+ talent, client and investors. LGBT Great works by supporting members to better understand LGBT+ specific and intersectional diversity and inclusion issues, like diversity data, through innovative insights, research and outreach programs. Click here to discover more.
About EY
EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In doing so, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.
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Boston, MA – April 1, 2021 – Nicsa announced the hiring of Kelly Sherrard as Executive Director and Head of Operations and Events.
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. Nicsa member firms include asset managers, broker dealers, custodian banks, transfer agents, and other professional service firms including audit, tax, law, technology, marketing, and compliance. With broad industry participation, Nicsa serves a diverse set of industry professionals focused on a wide array of business lines including product, distribution, technology innovation, data, operations, risk management, and accounting.
Ms. Sherrard is responsible for managing Nicsa conferences and events and serves as liaison to Nicsa event committees. Prior to joining Nicsa, Kelly built expertise in the association industry supporting multiple clients in growing their membership and improving bottom-line performance. Kelly is a graduate of James Madison University.
Nicsa continues to expand its platforms and events for important industry dialogue on top-of-mind issues. President Jim Fitzpatrick said, “Nicsa is dedicated to providing a forum for executives within the industry to share best practices and build better businesses. Kelly has developed an exceptional talent in this area and brings a level of dedication to the organization that will surely help Nicsa deliver top quality programming to its member firms in 2021 and beyond.”
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. The Diversity Project’s goal is to accelerate progress towards a diverse and inclusive culture in the asset management industry to deliver the best possible results for clients, reflect the society we serve, and ensure long-term business sustainability. Click here for more information on Nicsa’s Diversity Project North America initiative.
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