Why the asset management industry needs to #talkaboutblack

Addressing the lack of ethnic diversity in C-suite jobs

The "taboo" lack of ethnic diversity in the investment industry must be discussed more openly, according to a panel of senior asset management figures, who warned the number of black people in the industry as a whole - let alone in client-facing or c-suite roles - is "chronically" small.

Not only this, they pointed out black people already in the asset management industry find it more difficult to progress to senior roles than their peers, yet management teams remain unaware of the implications of such imbalances. The panellists, L&G Investment Management's Justin Onuekwusi, Willis Towers Watson's Marisa Hall and Impax Asset Management's Darren Johnson, are heavily involved in the #talkaboutblack campaign; a cross-company initiative launched by The Diversity Project which, so far, has more than 1,000 members across the investment management industry.  The aim of #talk...