PARIS | May 3, 2023–– The Investor Leadership Network (ILN) convened its Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committee yesterday for a meeting hosted by ILN member Ardian in Paris. The meeting aimed to build on the work of ILN’s Inclusive Finance Playbook launched last year to advance the global financial industry’s efforts towards diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The meeting brought together ILN members and industry experts to discuss ways to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the financial industry, including the need to focus on inclusion as a material issue. The attendees also shared their respective organizations’ best practices in inclusion and inclusive cultures in their workplaces and across their relationships with portfolio companies and external managers.
After meeting monthly online for several years, the ILN DE&I Committee meeting in Paris was a great opportunity to connect in person with other industry leaders and share insights on how to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the financial services industry,” said Jennifer Guerard, Senior Managing Director & Head of Legal for OMERS Infrastructure and Co-Chair of the ILN DEI Committee.
Charlene Sagoe, Intl’ Head of DE&I for Natixis Investment Managers (ex US) and Co-Chair of the ILN DEI Committee, added, “As asset owners and asset managers we have the responsibility to lead by example and promote inclusive practices in our organizations and portfolio companies.”
ILN’s Inclusive Finance Playbook, launched in 2022, provides a framework for ILN members and the broader financial industry to advance inclusion-based practices and policies in their operations and investments. The playbook offers a set of fundamental and a set of advanced ESG metrics that investors can use to assess inclusion, which many ILN members have adopted.
ILN’s DEI Committee will continue to work on advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the financial industry through a range of initiatives, including the development of new resources and the promotion of best practices for investors and portfolio companies. To learn more about ILN’s work in this area, visit the DEI Initiative page.