Improving diversity in asset management: It's time to think outside the box

Recruit from school age

Hermes Investments' Harriet Steel has said very little has changed in terms of diversity within the asset management industry during her 20-plus year career, and believes the key to attracting diverse, talented individuals would involve collaboration from the groups to improve the industry's reputation.

The global head of distribution, who was appointed to the Hermes board in 2013 and was the first female executive director at the group, said it is encouraging that groups have finally committed to various initiatives in order to broaden diversity within their groups, but said further work and collaboration needs to be carried out. "The industry's attitude to diversity has changed depressingly little in the 20-odd years I have been in it.  There were as many women at the top of the industry 25 years ago as there are now.  I do not see any giant shift in terms of gender diversity in finan...