Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
A Conversation With Ron Taylor - Natixis Investment Managers’ Head of DEI
In a personal and frank exchange, Ron shares how his own story drives his commitment to DEI, along with his philosophy, priorities, and challenges in moving Natixis forward.
Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
At Natixis Investment Managers, we are actively committed to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce. As a global asset manager with more than 15 independent investment affiliates, diverse thinking is at the heart of everything we do.
We continuously work to create an environment that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion in all its forms, across gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, and background. We believe this creates equal opportunities for our employees – and better outcomes for our clients and communities.
Fostering a strong DEI company culture involves a two-pronged, bottom-up/top-down approach. Grassroots passion comes up from the employees. A commitment to be comfortable being uncomfortable in situations regarding diversity, and to promote conversation and engagement, comes from the top.
Culture
The Natixis culture is rooted in openness to new ideas, hard work, and creative problem-solving. We believe our most valuable asset is our employees – the people who drive us forward as a firm through their expertise, dedication, and unique perspectives. In this spirit, we continuously invest in our people in order to enrich their lives both in and out of the office.
We offer our employees an enjoyable and rewarding work environment. We invite our employees to enjoy events while providing work-from-home flexibility and a competitive benefits package.
We support our company's mission to help people live better lives by developing an engaged, high-performing workforce. We believe learning and development are continuous. Every employee is expected to participate in at least one learning program every six months as a commitment to their ongoing and continuous learning.
42%
of the workforce (including affiliated investment managers) is female1
28%
of the Management Committee
is female2
28%
of Portfolio Managers
are female1
Programs
Bottom Line
Bottom Line, Natixis' Global Scholarship Program, helps more than 3,000 first-generation students from low-income communities get into college, graduate, and establish themselves in mobilizing careers. Four students who are engaged in the program receive a Natixis scholarship to help them pursue a degree and/or career in business or a related field. This is a $5,000 renewable commitment for up to four years. Similar programs are implemented in the UK and Paris through partnerships with local organizations.
At Natixis, we create internships that introduce students at the high school and college levels to career opportunities in the finance industry. We’re committed to developing a pipeline of talent for our industry for the long term.
Partnerships with the Academy of the Pacific Rim (APR) in Boston and the Life Learning Academy (LLA) in San Francisco are an expansion of our longstanding commitment to the communities where we operate.
In addition to the firm’s financial contributions, Natixis associates organize skills-based volunteering opportunities to teach APR students financial literacy. They also work to develop “career exploration” videos designed to introduce LLA pupils to different roles within financial services.
We believe that exposing underrepresented students, with a focus on racial and ethnic minorities, to the numerous career trajectories available within financial services can help expand diversity in future candidate pools.
In the Natixis Investment Managers Graduate Challenge, 12 teams of students, selected from over 45 submissions, compete to manage simulated investment portfolios over the course of three months.
As part of the program, the teams are mentored by our asset management experts from Natixis Investment Managers Solutions, Harris Associates, Loomis Sayles, Dorval AM, DNCA Finance, Mirova, Ossiam, Ostrum AM, Seeyond AM, Thematics AM and Vega IM.
The teams are evaluated on how effectively they managed their virtual portfolios according to ESG principles and strict investment guidelines, as well as their capacity to articulate and present their investment approach and decisions.
Employee Resource Groups (ERG)
Employee Resource Groups are voluntary, employee-led groups whose aim is to foster a diverse, inclusive workplace aligned with the organizations they serve. ERGs give a voice to under-represented people within an organization, while creating a safe space to discuss experiences, giving employees an opportunity to be heard, valued, and engaged.
Policies and Statements
DEI Policy Statement
Natixis Investment Managers is committed to supporting and creating an equitable and inclusive culture. Our business is about people, and we strive to ensure the well-being of our employees and to create an environment responsive to different cultures and groups in all our interactions with employees, clients, visitors, suppliers, contractors, shareholders, investors and in the communities in which we operate. We value diversity; we believe it to be important to business success and integral to achieving our strategic objectives.
Natixis Investment Managers recognizes the potential that all people bring to the workplace.
Employees have the right to be treated with respect and dignity throughout their employment with Natixis Investment Managers and not to be discriminated against in any way. We have a zero tolerance policy to bullying, harassment, victimization and racism of any kind.
We seek to achieve higher standards than the minimum set out in legislation, and we will proactively encourage a culture that supports diversity and equal opportunity.
Company Responsibility
- To actively support and promote diversity and inclusion and to ensure that all our employees are valued and treated with dignity and respect.
- To strive continually to provide employees with a working environment that is free from all forms of discrimination.
- To ensure that managers work in partnership with employees to create and sustain an inclusive working environment where everyone’s unique contribution is valued.
- To ensure that decisions affecting employment, training, promotion and career development are based on an individual’s ability and genuine occupational requirements.
- To comply with relevant legislation by requiring all employees to meet the minimum standards of behavior and conduct in relation to how they treat their colleagues and other people they have contact with as part of their work with Natixis Investment Managers.
- To regularly review the policy and its practical application and continue to make any updates towards identifying and eliminating any potentially discriminatory practices.
- To provide employees and managers with the appropriate information, via this policy, on diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and to provide Diversity & Inclusion training for all employees.
- To make adjustments to meet the needs of disabled employees, visitors and clients where reasonable and practicable to do so.
- To ensure all internal publications and material reflect, in the language and images, the diversity of our employees and clients.
- To provide investment products, solutions and services to our clients without any form of unlawful discrimination and/or harassment.
Talent Acquisition
A more recent initiative is the Natixis Scholarship Program. The financial industry historically has not done enough to attract diverse talent from an early age. A focus of our diversity & inclusion program is to develop a pipeline of diverse talent early enough so they receive the academic training and internship experience needed to succeed in the financial industry. Just as important, we aim to inspire promising candidates to pursue a career in asset management and build a career with us. To expand those efforts, we will be creating a scholarship program for university students from under-represented minority groups, which we hope will help bring diversity to our industry and contribute to our talent pool at Natixis IM. Scholarships will be granted to two students with a demonstrated financial need who are majoring in business, and we will support and develop the students through internships and mentoring from our team. We will pilot this program in the US, where we can build on existing university partnerships and mentoring programs, and look to expand to other locations.
Natixis Investment Managers endeavors to attract applicants from all sections of society and we strive to reflect the diversity of the communities in which we operate. We will ensure fair treatment through the recruitment process. This includes:
- Checking that job descriptions are relevant and non-discriminatory.
- Ensuring that the wording and images used in job advertisements reflect and appeal to all sections of society and comply with the law.
- Seeking a diverse pool of qualified candidates for each position.
- Ensuring that all roles are available to internal candidates.
- Short-listing only those people whose skills and qualifications most closely match the job description.
- Asking fair, objective and consistent questions during interviews.
- Keeping records of the recruitment and selection process, including interviews.
- Monitoring recruitment and selection to ensure equality of opportunity throughout the process and taking steps to eliminate any discriminatory practices.
Awards and Recognition
LGBTQ+ Great Financial Services Standards 2023
LGBTQ+ Great Financial Services Standards 2023
Natixis Investment Managers received a Silver standard on LGBT Great's Inclusion Index Benchmarking Tracker for 2023. The iiBT rewards financial services organizations' commitment to making their spaces more equitable and inclusive for LGBTQ+ employees, partners, and clients.
Most Generous Employees3
Most Generous Employees
Natixis Investment Managers was recognized by the Boston Business Journal as having the most generous employees for the 11th time in 12 years.
Largest Charitable Corporation3
Largest Charitable Corporation
Natixis Investment Managers was named among the top charitable corporations by the Boston Business Journal, placing 54th out of 100 firms.
1 Source: Natixis Investment Managers, as of December 2022.
2 Source: Natixis Investment Managers, as of September 2023.
3 In September 2023, the Boston Business Journal hosted its annual BBJ Corporate Citizenship Awards that convened business leaders on the topics of corporate philanthropy and social responsibility. Natixis Investment Managers and its Boston-based associates earned the following accolades: Named a 2023 Largest Corporate Charitable Contributor (54th out of 100 firms with more than $1 million charitable donations to Massachusetts-based organizations in 2022), and the Most Generous Employees distinction (average $895 donation per Boston-based associate in 2022).
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