[ I N T E R V I E W
What does diversity mean for insti-
tutions such as Man Group?
Alison Hollingshead: Diversity is
certainly a focus for Man Group.
For us, it’s about ensuring that we
have a meritocratic environment
where everyone has the opportu-
nity to reach their full potential.
Diversity can bring benefits in
terms of business outcomes, and
it’s not just about gender, it’s much
broader than that.
I think that finding ways of
attracting diverse talent has been a
big challenge in terms of actionable
objectives that companies can do.
For me, it’s really important that
it is not about positive discrimina-
tion, but making sure that you find
and keep the best talent. To do that
you need to broaden the pool of tal-
ent that you hire from and under-
stand the different needs of those
different populations. As such,
this year Man Group launched its
‘Paving the Way’ campaign, which
seeks to encourage a more diverse
pipeline for the company and the
investment industry more broadly.
On a personal level, I’ve been
with Man Group for almost 15
years and during that time I’ve
gone from being a young, single
woman, to a working mother
of three little boys. I know that
finding a work-life balance is a real
challenge, but I do feel as though I
have been supported and encour-
aged at Man Group. We believe in
flexible working, and I work from
home where possible to juggle
my kids’ schedules and ensure I
don’t miss any sports days or class
assemblies! Last year, we intro-
duced enhanced parental leave for
all employees globally, regardless
of gender. This is another import-
ant initiative because it can help
promote equality in a tangible way.
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A L I S O N
There are lots of fathers that are
now taking that time off, and that’s
been really encouraging. I believe
initiatives like this can truly make a
difference.
In what ways can diversity create
opportunities for buy-side trading
firms?
AH: There is lots of research that
supports the potential positive
business outcomes that come from
a diverse workforce. The perfor-
mance accelerator, including the
performance of female portfolio
managers and companies that have
more than just one or two women
on their boards, is well-document-
ed.
Diversity is good for firms and it’s
good for the industry. It’s not just a
social impact, it can really impact
profitability. Diversity in terms of
trading, specifically, tends to bring
a mix of skills and approaches, and
that balance can be really healthy.
Historically across our indus-
try, investment management
and trading roles have been very
male-dominated, and I think you
do see some different attitudes to
things like risk-taking when you
get more women and also people
from different backgrounds on the
trading desk. As trading gets more
electronic and data-driven, softer
and more people-facing skills can
really be a differentiator, so getting
more of those attributes onto your
trading desk can be beneficial.
H O L L I N G S H E A D ]
How can financial institutions en-
tice a more diverse workforce?
AH: Man Group’s ‘Paving the Way’
initiative has been key in terms of
focusing on the next generation
and addressing the ‘pipeline chal-
lenge’. If you’re interviewing for a
role or trying to promote internally,
often there are no, or perhaps only
a few, women in that talent pool,
which can be challenging if you
aren’t being presented with diverse
candidates that you can genuinely
compare with more traditional
candidates.
When it comes to addressing that
pipeline challenge, it’s important
to get people from the business to
truly understand that people with
backgrounds different to theirs
may actually have a lot to bring to
the company. At the same time,
allowing those potential candi-
dates to come in and see what the
business is really like can also be
encouraging.
Externally, there is a perception
that the investment management
and trading industry is not a par-
ticularly friendly environment for
women. I don’t personally agree
with that, but I understand that
it can be difficult to understand
something if you don’t experi-
ence it. So, I think initiatives like
internships, graduate schemes and
returner schemes, are a step in the
right direction in terms of opening
the door to a more diverse talent
pool.
“As trading gets more electronic and data-
driven, softer and more people facing skills
can really be a differentiator, so getting more
of those attributes onto your trading desk can
be beneficial.”
Issue 60 // TheTradeNews.com // 25