EQUITIES
At AB diversity is something we actively
pursue. We have had good success with
supporting new mothers and fathers
and the firm has demonstrated this
events throughout the year that are
open to all employees, with a focus
on the development of women and
an inclusive forum to raise and discuss
the global trading team bring different
experiences to the table when you
are in discussions or trying to solve an
issue. In our global trading team we
have a very good mix in diversity of
thought and a very collaborative team
so definitely see the benefits in our
decision making, how we implement
various trading ideas and approach our
clients’ issues or requests.
Who is Emma Quinn outside of the
workplace? How do you manage work
life balance and do you have any
hobbies?
I am a mum to three children; a
13-year-old, a 10-year-old and an
8-year-old. My marriage is very
important to me and I have been
married for almost 20 years. This is
a true partnership and his support,
especially around meeting the needs
of our children, form an important part
of my support network. My sister and I
are very fortunate to have an amazing
mother who keeps our families on track
and the three of us are very close.
Emma with her global co-head, Frank Loughlin
on numerous occasions. I am a good
example of this. I am often asked “do
you think having children held back
your career?”. People seemed surprised
to hear that I was offered a promotion
while on maternity leave with our
second child, and another promotion
when I was on leave after having our
third. I wasn’t even present in the office
and was being recognised for hard
work and outcomes with promotions.
In addition to managers supporting
diversity, this is also done at a firm
level. Along with our Australian CEO,
Jen Driscoll, I co-sponsor AB’s APAC
employee resource group (“Synergy”)
that supports the professional
development of AB employees, with a
focus on women. We arrange various
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challenges facing employees. This
is just one of many resource groups
available to AB employees.
Do you have any examples of how
diversity impacts the global team
effort and performance?
I find when people think about
diversity they are often thinking
about gender diversity. For us it is not
specifically about gender diversity.
What we are looking for is “diversity
of thought”. This can be achieved
with team members from different
backgrounds, life experiences,
employment history, education or
gender. With a focus on diversity of
thought, we find that people within
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I live in Sydney so a lot of our lifestyle
is around the outdoors- beaches,
walks, biking. I also spend a lot of
time reading. I am very passionate
about football with a strong interest
in supporting women’s football so you
often find me yelling on the side of a
football pitch.
I don’t believe that it is possible to
completely balance work and home
commitments. I do my best to manage
my time and am very conscious about
the choices I make around where and
how I spend it both at work and at
home. While being tied to exchange
hours does not allow for as much
flexibility in my hours as other roles
in asset management I have found
that by being flexible and having
a supportive employer and home
support system it can work.
Summer 2019