Barings’ Mike Freno joins more than 1,600 CEOs pledging to take action for Diversity and Inclusion
Barings, one of the world’s leading financial services firms, announced its Chairman, CEO and President Mike Freno has signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™, the largest CEO business commitment to advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
By signing this commitment, Barings is pledging to take action to cultivate a workplace where diverse perspectives and experiences are welcomed and respected, and where employees feel encouraged to discuss diversity and inclusion.
Mike Freno, Barings Chairman, CEO and President, said: “Barings recognizes the importance of being a firm that embraces diversity and inclusion. In the last year we have, among other things, appointed the firm’s first Chief Diversity Equity and Inclusion Officer, launched three additional ERGs, and increased our diversity and inclusion training. We are making progress but we have more work to do. By joining CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion, Barings will further our commitment and partner with CEOs and companies to drive inclusive outcomes within our firm and within the communities where we work and live.”
“In turn, our commitment is driven by a realization that diversity and inclusion is a societal issue that CEOs have an opportunity – and responsibility – to play a meaningful role in addressing,” said Mike.
Chasity Boyce, Barings Chief Diversity Equity and Inclusion Officer, said: “Signing onto CEO Action solidifies the commitment we’ve made internally. It also gives us access to a network of resources to ensure we’re continually bringing the best DEI programs to Barings to assist us on our journey to a more inclusive workplace, while using our collective voice and resources to continue to advocate for equity and affect change throughout the profession.”
Barings represents one of hundreds of companies in financial services who have signed as signatories. By joining together to tackle this critical societal issue, we hope to cultivate more diverse and inclusive workplaces in the asset management industry.
Learn more at CEOAction.com and connect on Twitter: @CEOAction.
About Barings
Barings is a $345 billion* global investment manager sourcing differentiated opportunities and building long-term portfolios across public and private fixed income, real estate, and specialist equity markets. With investment professionals based in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific, the firm, a subsidiary of MassMutual, aims to serve its clients, communities and employees, and is committed to sustainable practices and responsible investment. Learn more at www.barings.com.
*Assets under management as of December 31, 2020.
About CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™
CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ is the largest CEO-driven business commitment to advance diversity and inclusion within the workplace.
It is led by a steering committee of CEOs and leaders from Accenture, BCG, Deloitte US, The Executive Leadership Council, EY, General Atlantic, KPMG, New York Life, Procter & Gamble, and PwC. The coalition represents 85 industries, all 50 US States, and millions of employees globally.
Bringing together more than 1,600 CEOs of America’s leading organizations, the commitment outlines actions that participating companies pledge to take to cultivate a workplace where diverse perspectives and experiences are welcomed and respected, employees feel comfortable and encouraged to discuss diversity and inclusion, and where best known—and unsuccessful—actions can be shared across organizations.
Signatories have already shared more than 1,200 best known actions, exchanging tangible learning opportunities and creating collaborative conversations via the initiative’s unified hub, CEOAction.com.