- Although improvements have been made, respondents still believe socio-economic, gender, LGBTQ+ and ethnic diversity are areas where significant progress is still required
- Over 40% of respondents said they had experienced discrimination in the workplace
- CFA UK’S Inclusion & Diversity (I&D) Committee announces series of events to focus on inclusion within ESG
London, United Kingdom, 17 February 2022: CFA Society of the UK (CFA UK) has today released the findings of its annual Inclusion & Diversity Survey, measuring the views of members across the UK investment industry.
The survey has found that, while some notable progress has been made, there are still areas that require significant attention despite a multitude of pledges and promises from the industry. This is highlighted by an alarmingly high percentage of respondents, over 40% of the 441, that said they had experienced discrimination in the workplace.
Of the topics covered, socio-economic diversity was highlighted as an area where more progress needs to be made; over half (56%) of respondents cited this as an area of focus but only 27% believe that meaningful progress has been made in recent years. The challenge is further illustrated by the number of respondents to the survey who attended a fee-paying school (40% vs the 6% national average).
Alongside this, respondents also noted gender, LGBTQ+ and ethnicity as areas that have had improvements, but, when asked to comment, many of the respondents said the progress made had been minimal and certainly not as much as is needed.
The findings of the survey are being released ahead of an event series being organised by CFA UK’s Inclusion & Diversity Committee which looks at inclusion within ESG. The series of half-day events are free to attend for both CFA members and non-members. For more information, visit www.cfauk.org/inclusion.
Olivia Maguire, CFA – chair of the CFA I&D committee comments: “Over the past decade, increased scrutiny on the industry has led to huge shifts in the way inclusion and diversity is handled, and while there has been some clear progress on areas such as gender and ethnicity, we still have much work to do as an industry. 2021 was a tipping point for the industry in areas such as gender and ethnicity yet companies, communities and individuals must continue to work hard to ensure fair policies are in place to promote I&D.”
“Areas such as LGBTQ+disability and caregiving, and neurodiversity amongst others, remain those that have not received such focus. CFA UK’s Inclusion and Diversity Network remains committed to working with firms to help them develop their strategies, training and share best practices on all aspects of inclusion and diversity.”
Will Goodhart, CEO, CFA UK comments: “While progress is being made across all areas of inclusion and diversity, there remains a long way to go. The investment profession can become a leader in this space but words will not be enough to get us there. We need concerted action across all areas and our commitments need to be matched by measurable progress.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
For more information:
Danny Calogero
dcalogero@fullyvested.com
+44(0)7891563294
Megan Lloyd
megan@fullyvested.com
+44(0)7907664468
About CFA UK
Part of the worldwide network of member societies of CFA Institute, CFA UK represents the interests of 11,500 investment professionals in the UK through advocacy, education, events and professional development. It promotes the highest standards of ethics, education, and professional excellence in the UK investment profession, for the ultimate benefit of society.
