HK Highlights 1 - Digital Magazine Version - Flipbook - Page 23
In the 昀椀nancial services industry, there are
many high-pro昀椀le initiatives which have
sought to redress the balance, including
the Diversity Project, with which Halsey
Keetch has been involved since its
inception.
Likewise, ESG has long characterised
an approach taken by certain forwardthinking or especially conscientious fund
management businesses, such as Hermes
Investment Management (now part of
Federated Hermes Inc.), although it was
only in recent years that the movement
took on mass appeal, at least partially
thanks to aggressive marketing by the
investment industry at large.
Regrettably, there seems to have been
something of a backlash against both
ESG and DEI in 2023. Right-wing political
movements, which have become
increasingly popular in various parts of
the world, adopted 昀椀rmly oppositional
stances towards both concepts. Whilst
such important topics must be continually
debated with a view to optimising
outcomes as far as possible, some of the
positioning seems to have been in the
interest of crude political point-scoring.
Nevertheless, the world is going through
such enormous changes that backlashes
against powerful drives for positive
change are always possible, and we have
to hope that any resulting lack of focus is
temporary. 2024 may require people to
choose sides on these matters, especially
considering the positioning of various
political parties in the numerous general
elections taking place around the world.
Diversity in Practice
The functions in which we specialise come
with their own unique set of challenges
when it comes to hiring leaders from a
diverse range of backgrounds. Often
technical in nature, and with limited
resource applied over the years to the
development of future GRC leaders,
robust and inclusive succession planning
is often hard to achieve, whilst talented
individuals in compliance, risk and audit
functions are always in high demand.
We strongly believe in the importance
of cognitive diversity and responsible
stewardship to our clients’ success and
ensure this is re昀氀ected through our
research and methodology in general.
We keep clients closely informed on
relevant developments during each
assignment and produce a detailed
post-search diversity report after every
mandate completed, clarifying related
昀椀ndings and clearly contextualising how the
eventual hiring outcome was reached.
Caroline Keetch & Suzy Levy
Our founding director, Caroline Keetch,
is a co-lead of the Ambassadors Group
for the Diversity Project, a signi昀椀cant
investment industry initiative whose
purpose is to accelerate progress towards
an inclusive culture in the investment and
savings industry. Our 昀椀rm is a founding
member of the Diversity Project Charity,
established in early 2020, and we are early
signatories of the Change the Race : Ratio
campaign launched in late 2020 by the
Confederation of British Industry (CBI).
Additionally, the Halsey Keetch Book
Club actively seeks out titles relating to
the importance of diversity and inclusion
and its application in business. Matthew
Syed’s ‘Rebel Ideas’ was an enormously
popular and in昀氀uential example in years
gone by. In 2023, we enjoyed Suzy Levy’s
new book, ‘Mind The Inclusion Gap: How
Allies Can Bridge The Divide Between
Talking Diversity and Taking Action’,
which also drew a large crowd and
drove a stimulating discussion.
HK HIGHLIGHTS
PAGE 23