On July 3, 2019, Refinitiv hosted the fifth Annual Lipper Fund Selector Forum at Canary Wharf. The second final panel of the morning was "The Diversity Dividend."
The funds management industry has often been indicted as suffering from a lack of diversity in its workforce. This panel looked at the issues behind this charge and what is being done to address this issue.
The panel discussed the various initiatives that the asset management industry is undertaking to improve diversity and outlined how improved levels of workplace diversity benefit shareholders and result in a more effective workplace - the diversity dividend.
The panelists were:
Bev Shah - Founder and CEO, CityHive Selina Tyler - Head of UK Wholesale, Mirabaud Asset Management Abbie Llewellyn-Waters - Fund Manager, Jupiter Asset ManagementIn this video of the session, Jake Moeller, head of Lipper UK & Ireland Research at Refinitiv moderates the panel
Running order Run Time Topic 00:25 What does workplace diversity mean and represent to each of you? 02:35 Should we simply emphasize diversity for fund firms as a good "business case"? 06:00 Why in particular does the funds management industry suffer from a lack of diversity? 12:00 [Bev Shah] Why did you feel compelled to launch an industry diversity network? 15:00 [Selina Tyler] What has compelled you to become involved in the diversity movement? 19:00 [Abbie Llewellan-Waters] What are some of the difficulties have you faced in becoming a fund manager? 25:30 Are things beginning to change? Are decision makers materially incorporating workplace diversity? 31:40 How important are role models in changing the perception of the industry? 39:00 Audience Question: What lessons can we learn from other fields when trying to encourage workplace diversity? 41:00 Audience Question: Is there a perception that funds management is too difficult to get involved with?
Refinitiv is grateful to the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment for sharing its footage of this event.
About Bev ShahBhavini ‘Bev’ Shah is Founder and CEO of City Hive – A Network for Change.
Prior to founding City Hive in 2016, Bev gained more than 15 years' investment experience in the City at some of the world's largest financial institutions.
Bev is passionate about empowering the investment and asset management sector to forge a more equitable and inclusive culture. She passionately believes in the value of diverse thought and experience in rebuilding trust in financial services and enhancing investment performance.
Bev is a media commentator on topics of gender equality and all aspects of diversity in the investment sector.”
About Selina TylerSelina joined Mirabaud Asset Management in November 2018 as Head of UK Wholesale. She leads the firm's coverage of wealth managers, fund of funds and financial institutions in the UK and Ireland.
Prior to joining Mirabaud, she was Director - UK Wholesale for Hermes Investment Management, for six years, and also worked at Man GLG for five years through 2012, covering Global Banking relationships.
Selina has over 15 years of experience within financial services, fulfilling client service, relationship management and sales roles.
She is a holder of the Investment Management Certificate and is a winner of the WeAreTheCity Rising Star Award in Sales in 2017.
About Abbie Llewellyn-Waters
Abbie Llewellyn-Waters joined Jupiter in 2006 and is a global equities fund manager in the Environment and Sustainability team. She has been a lead manager of institutional funds since 2012.
Abbie was previously co-manager of the multi-asset Jupiter Global Ecology Diversified Fund and was an integral member of the fund management team for the Jupiter Ecology Fund, the Jupiter Global Ecology Growth Fund and the Jupiter Green Investment Trust PLC for over 10 years.
In 2017, Abbie was awarded both Fund Manager of the Year and Investment Woman of the Year at Investment Week’s inaugural Women in Investment Awards.
Abbie is also a contributing member of several industry initiatives: for example, she is an Ambassador for the Diversity Project and a member of the 30% Club UK Investor Group.
She has a degree in Classics from University College, London.
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Disclaimer:
This material is provided for as market commentary and for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment research or advice. Refinitiv cannot be held responsible for any direct or incidental loss resulting from applying any of the information provided in this publication or from any other source mentioned. Please consult with a qualified professional for financial advice.
