Project is also announcing addition of new founding members and the launch of its operating committees
Washington, D.C. – June 6, 2019 — The Diversity Project North America, an initiative sponsored by NICSA, is today announcing the hiring of its first full-time leader, Jylanne Dunne, as well as a number of additions to its list of founding members and the launch of five operating committees to execute several short-term objectives.
NICSA, a not-for-profit trade association that connects global asset management industry participants, sponsors the Diversity Project and oversees its mission of accelerating progress toward a more inclusive and diverse asset management industry.
The number of participating firms has grown from a total of 14 to 30 since October 2018, when the Diversity Project North America was launched. Since October, founding members have appointed a CEO Advisory Council to provide strategic leadership, and an Executive Steering Committee to drive execution of initiatives. The two governing bodies have identified and launched five operating committees to lead the tactical implementation of the Diversity Project’s short-term mission-critical objectives. They include:
- Benchmarking;
- Best Practices;
- Content & Events;
- Industry Engagement; and
- Talent Management.
All operating committees are co-chaired by senior executives dedicated to the diversity movement who have been nominated and elected by the Executive Steering Committee. Collaborative decision-making will guide program development aimed at sharing best practice solutions to recruit, advance and retain diverse talent.
Leveraging the diverse talent and voices that each of these committees will bring to the Diversity Project is Jylanne Dunne, who is joining NICSA with the title Vice President, Diversity Project North America. Ms. Dunne joins NICSA from Fidelity Investments, where she spent 10 years, most recently as Senior Vice President of Practice Management.
“I was drawn to this role by the breadth and depth of the commitment that the Project’s founding members have already shown,” said Ms. Dunne. “Improving diversity across the asset management industry can only lead to positive outcomes for managers, employees and clients. I am very excited about the work that we are kicking off and all of the developments we will have to share with the industry, the press and other key stakeholders in the coming months.”
The Diversity Project’s CEO Advisory Council is led by Co Chairs Dan Houlihan, Executive Vice President, Head of Asset Servicing for the Americas at Northern Trust Company, and Amy Philbrook, Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Fidelity Investments. “The right talent delivers the best results and better serves long-term business sustainability. Our industry has taken steps to address the need for a more diverse workforce, but significant gains still need to be made. Our goal is to have D&I included in the daily fabric of how businesses are run. We are committed to moving the needle, and we welcome more firms to join our mission,” said Houlihan.
“It’s important that no one company feels like it is alone in its journey toward becoming more inclusive and diverse,” said Amy Philbrook. “The reality is that the fundamental concept of work is changing, so it’s critical that businesses come together through initiatives like the Diversity Project in order to bring others along on their learning journey. All companies, including the asset management industry, need to be constantly innovating, and to do this, they need diversity of thought and skillset and a high level of collaboration.”
NICSA continues to expand its platforms for important industry dialogue on top of mind issues. President Jim Fitzpatrick said, “NICSA has always been dedicated to helping our industry build stronger businesses. Our goal with the Diversity Project is to provide a forum for executives at the highest level – those that have the power to really effect change – to build best practices that make sense for their organizations. NICSA, because of the breadth and depth of our membership, is clearly the right platform upon which to affect change on the D&I front.”
The Diversity Project is currently welcoming additional involvement from interested firms. To learn more about how firms within the asset management industry can get involved in the Diversity Project North America, visit: nicsa.org/diversity project north america.
About NICSA
NICSA is a not-for-profit asset management trade association that connects global asset management industry participants in order to develop, share, and advance leading practices. For over fifty years, the Association has offered a collective, timely view on evolving themes shaping the financial industry.
NICSA member companies operate in all segments of the financial industry and include fund complexes, broker dealers, custodian banks, transfer agents, and other professional service firms including audit, tax, legal, technology, marketing, telecom, and compliance. At NICSA, Deep expertise and unique perspectives come together in an open and collaborative environment to tackle the strategic implementation of the industry’s most vital issues. For more information about NICSA and how to become a member, contact 508-485-1500 or visit www.nicsa.org.
# # #
Note to reporters:
The current list of participating firms includes:
1. American Century
2. Aon
3. Audeliss
4. BlackRock
5. BMO Global Asset Management
6. Broadridge Financial Solutions
7. Capital Group – American Funds
8. CFA Institute
9. Citi
10. Columbia Threadneedle Investments
11. Confluence
12. Deloitte
13. Eaton Vance
14. EY
15. Fidelity Investments
16. Fiera Capital
17. HSBC
18. Invesco
19. J.P. Morgan
20. MFS Investment Management
21. Nationwide
22. NEPC Investment Consulting
23. Northern Trust
24. OppenheimerFunds
25. Penserra
26. PGIM Investments
27. Sionna Investment Managers
28. State Street Global Advisors
29. Schroders
30. YOH
Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, Member NYSE, SIPC
900 Salem Street, Smithfield, RI 02917
Fidelity Investments Institutional Services Company, Inc.,
500 Salem Street, Smithfield, RI 02917
National Financial Services LLC, Member NYSE, SIPC,
200 Seaport Boulevard, Boston, MA 02110
889237.1.0
© 2019 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.