Loomis, Sayles & Company, an affiliate of Natixis Investment Managers, has announced the appointment of Marques Benton as Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) Officer, today.
Benton reports jointly to Kevin Charleston, Chief Executive Officer and President of Loomis Sayles and John Russell, Head of Human Resources and Senior Counsel. In this new role, he is responsible for driving the firm’s DE&I strategic plan into action. In partnership with senior management, he will be focused on attracting, developing and retaining diverse talent and engaging with all staff to foster a firm-wide culture of inclusion.
“We are thrilled to welcome Marques to Loomis Sayles. He brings considerable expertise in diversity, equity and inclusion to the firm and his leadership will be critical as we strive to continually make significant improvements in these areas,” stated Charleston. “Creating an environment where we can attract and integrate talented individuals with different lived experiences is a business imperative; we are deeply committed to build on our existing foundation and Marques will be integral to our work creating meaningful change.”
DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION EXPERTISE
Benton joins Loomis Sayles from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, where he was a Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer for over a decade. In this role, he was responsible for implementing a comprehensive strategy to effectively integrate DE&I into the bank’s culture, management practices, talent acquisition and business activities.
Previously, as an officer in the bank’s public and community affairs department, Benton worked with public and private partnerships at federal, state and local levels to help thousands of low-to-moderate income families build, save and preserve assets and achieve greater financial stability. He is also a member of the board of trustees for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston and the board of directors for the Forté Foundation. Benton holds a BA in Economics from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and an MBA from the FW Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College.
LOOMIS SAYLES’ DE&I PLAN
Benton’s appointment as Chief DE&I Officer is the latest step in the evolution of the Loomis Sayles DE&I plan. The firm has been committed to prioritising DE&I over the years through a DE&I committee and governance model, customised firm-wide diversity trainings, active employee resource groups and industry engagement including partnership with consultants and the CFA Institute. Loomis Sayles has also developed innovative internship and mentorship programmes that prioritise career development for candidates underrepresented in the investment management industry.
Loomis Sayles believes in a workplace culture that acknowledges, supports, and invests in the diversity of all its members. “This is critical in order to fulfil the investment needs of our clients worldwide, manage the complexity of our dynamic and global business and build a community where all employees have an equitable opportunity to expand on their potential,” confirmed the company. The firm is committed to “fostering an environment where all employees are represented, respected, valued and empowered to apply all of the dimensions of their identities”.
Natixis Investment Managers has also announced the launch of a new index that helps to identify which firms and funds promote DE&I, and those that don’t. Click here to read more.
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