CFA UK and Heidrick & Struggles have recently partnered to create a report Learning from portfolio management principles in approaching DEI looking at insights into how six principles of portfolio management can be applied to fast-track DEI progress.
A 2022 Heidrick & Struggles survey shows that 93% of executives in eight countries around the world said that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) was more important to their company then than it was at the beginning of 2020, and 52% said that DEI efforts contribute to their business success to a large extent, up from just 22% three years earlier. Leading firms recognise the importance of developing and maintaining diverse and inclusive cultures in which every person. However, these same firms are also aware that the pace of progress on DEI has been slower than anticipated and, in some cases, are struggling to keep up.
Through a series of roundtable discussions facilitated by CFA UK, six principles of portfolio management that can be applied to DEI were identified.
These are:
• Principle 1: Start with a focus on business outcomes - companies that are considered leaders in the field don’t view DE&I targets as an end in themselves but instead as a key to delivering their business results.
• Principle 2: Blend strategic and tactical - The key is being transparent about the different goals and their progress.
• Principle 3: Build a continuously evolving portfolio of good opportunities rather than just the best ideas - A crucial element of success with this approach is ensuring that the culture remains inclusive not only of a broader range of employees but also of the tremendous amount of social change that is happening both outside and inside organisations.
• Principle 4: Value multiple sources of information and advice, one shared set of values
• Principle 5: Follow global best practices while placing emphasis on local accountability
• Principle 6: Remove bias from measuring progress through quantitative analysis.
About CFA UK
CFA UK represents the interests of over 12,000 investment professionals in the United Kingdom as part of the global network of member societies of CFA Institute. Committed to fostering the highest standards of ethics, education, and professional excellence, CFA UK strives to enhance the integrity and expertise of the investment profession.
About Heidrick & Struggles
Heidrick & Struggles (Nasdaq: HSII) is a premier provider of global leadership advisory and on-demand talent solutions, serving the senior-level talent and consulting needs of the world's top organizations. In our role as trusted leadership advisors, we partner with our clients to develop future-ready leaders and organizations, bringing together our services and offerings in executive search, diversity and inclusion, leadership assessment and development, organization and team acceleration, culture shaping and on-demand, independent talent solutions. Heidrick & Struggles pioneered the profession of executive search more than 65 years ago. Today, the firm provides integrated talent and human capital solutions to help clients change the world, one leadership team at a time.® www.heidrick.com
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