DCIIA Celebrates Diversity & Inclusion with Inaugural Awards Program

diversity & inclusion, DCIIA
Image credit: © Designer491 | Dreamstime.com

The Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association (DCIIA) hosted a virtual event Dec. 10 celebrating its inaugural Diversity and Inclusion Awards. The program recognizes nominees submitted by member organizations in two categories: Rising Star and Leader.

During the event, all nominees were recognized, and the six Leader Finalists were revealed. These finalists were chosen by a DCIIA member-led committee that reviewed and discussed all Leader nominations and the six were selected for their demonstrated commitment to driving change in improving diversity and inclusion within their organizations, industries, and/or communities. The Finalists are:

Raynelle Grace, diversity and inclusion
Raynelle Grace

• Raynelle Grace, Vanguard: Grace is head of active equity product management at Vanguard. She is a member of the Vanguard Black Professionals Network senior leadership team, led the 2020 Women’s Initiative for Leadership Success Summit and is part of the Out Professional Engagement Network ally team.

Lesley Nurse
Lesley Nurse

• Lesley Nurse, Neuberger Berman: Nurse is head of North American consultant relations for Neuberger Berman. She is a member of the firm’s Operating Committee and its Diversity Council and has contributed to the development of the firm’s strategy and execution of equity, inclusion and diversity initiatives. Lesley is also a senior sponsor of the firm’s Black Employee Resource Group. She recently led a firm-wide discussion on the current social justice climate with Janai Nelson, Associate-Director Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

Hanneke Smits
Hanneke Smits

• Hanneke Smits, BNY Mellon Investment Management: Smits is CEO of BNY Mellon Investment Management and a member of BNY Mellon’s Executive Committee. Smits was previously CEO of Newton Investment Management, a BNY Mellon investment firm. In her prior role, Smits established Newton’s diversity and inclusion committee, which led to the introduction of a new recruitment policy with targets relating not only to gender, but also ethnic and socioeconomic diversity.

Carol Waddell, DCIIA
Carol Waddell

• Carol Waddell, Empower Retirement: Waddell is head of the retirement solutions group for Empower Retirement, where she is also a member of the Executive Committee. Waddell is also the co-chair of the Empower Diversity, Belonging & Equity Council and executive sponsor of the Women’s Empowerment Network business resource group.

Wendy Wattenberg
Wendy Wattenberg

• Wendy Wattenberg, Mercer: Wattenberg is a partner and global client manager at Mercer. For the last eight years, she has led the New York chapter of Women@Mercer, focusing on gender parity. In 2019, Wendy took on the role of global co-chair for Women@Mercer.

Chris Weirath, diversity & inclusion
Chris Weirath

• Chris Weirath, Morningstar Investment Management LLC: Weirath is senior vice president of global account management for the workplace solutions group for Morningstar Investment Management LLC. She represents the workplace group on the Morningstar Diversity & Inclusion board and has been active on the Executive Leadership for Women program.

“We are very proud and excited to host the inaugural DCIIA Diversity & Inclusion Awards and highlight the great work within our member organizations in this very important area,” said Lew Minsky, DCIIA’s president and CEO. “Shining a spotlight on D&I has been one of our top priorities over the last two years since we formed our member-led D&I Steering Committee to explore ways DCIIA should be engaging in this area.”

DCIIA has now hosted two dedicated live events (in 2019) and three virtual events in 2020 highlighting D&I topics and speakers. In addition, Minsky said the DCIIA Retirement Research Center will have a specific focus on this area heading into 2021.

The awards program included a wide variety of topics and speakers, including a fireside chat with the Leader finalists, new relevant research and a video featuring all of the Rising Star and Leader nominees, listed below:

2020 Rising Stars

Maggie Akers, Emotomy (wholly owned subsidiary of Northern Trust Investments)

Chelsea Beckford, Morningstar

KC Boas, BlackRock

Sariyah Buchanan, Morgan Lewis & Bockius

Lauren Cellucci, Marquette

Carol Chen, MSCI

Ashlee Davis, AllianceBernstein

Farod Ford, Vanguard

Victoria Fung, T. Rowe Price

Sheila Gorman, Bank of America

Gabrielle Huh, Pinebridge

Allison Johnston, Capital Group

India Johnstone, Mercer

Lianne Kenealy, Edelman Financial Engines

Nima Khavari, Betterment for Business

Maureen Kuhns, BNY Mellon Investment Management

Lauren Mathias, Callan

Kayla Monroe, MassMutual

Greg Moye, Russell

Gerrick Ratliff, Aon

Kevin Reiher, Ascensus

Arley Reyes, Wellington

Sibil Sebastian, American Century

Chery Victoria, Empower Retirement

2020 Leaders

Pat Advaney, Betterment for Business

Kevin Barry, Fidelity

April Cody, MSCI

Michael Davis, T. Rowe Price

Stephanie Epstein, BlackRock

Raynelle Grace, Vanguard

Ralph Haberli, Capital Group

Beth Halberstadt, Aon

Jessica Hart, Northern Trust

Andrew Junkin, State of Rhode Island

Joe Keefe, Impax Asset Management

Lesley Nurse, Neuberger Berman

Kelly O’Donnell, Edelman Financial Engines

Pamela Popp, Lockton

Danielle Savage, Ascensus

Elizabeth Smith, AllianceBernstein

Hanneke Smits, BNY Mellon Investment Management

Debbie Vince, New York Life

Carol Waddell, Empower Retirement

Wendy Wattenberg, Mercer

Joel Weaver, Bank of America

Chris Weirath, Morningstar

• SEE ALSO: TIAA Leader Ferguson Announces 2021 Retirement

Brian Anderson Editor
Editor-in-Chief at  | banderson@401kspecialist.com | + posts

Veteran financial services industry journalist Brian Anderson joined 401(k) Specialist as Managing Editor in January 2019. He has led editorial content for a variety of well-known properties including Insurance Forums, Life Insurance Selling, National Underwriter Life & Health, and Senior Market Advisor. He has always maintained a focus on providing readers with timely, useful information intended to help them build their business.

Related Posts
Total
0
Share