This speaker series, delivered by Inclusion in Finance, Progress Together and the Social Mobility Foundation, was launched to support Inclusion in Finance’s Social Mobility Toolkit and to promote the benefits of improving socioeconomic diversity and advancing social mobility.
Findings from Inclusion in Finance’s most recent annual Goals and Progress tool highlighted that member firms still had significant work to do on social mobility. The series was designed to help organisations make meaningful progress by equipping them with the knowledge, inspiration and practical guidance needed to drive change within their own workplaces.
While the sessions raised awareness and encouraged discussion, they also focused on practical action. Attendees benefited from the insights and experiences of individuals and organisations that had successfully advanced social mobility, leaving with tangible ideas and approaches that could be implemented within their own firms.
The ultimate measure of success was intended to be a meaningful improvement in the social mobility outcomes reported in the 2025 annual Goals and Progress statistics.
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Helena Morrissey, Chair, Inclusion in Finance
David Aujla, Co-lead, Social Mobility Workstream
Alderman Vincent Keaveny CBE, Former Lord Mayor of London
Stuart White, Chief Executive Officer, HSBC Asset Management (UK)
James Whiteman, Co-lead, Social Mobility Workstream
Rachel Allan, Co-lead, Social Mobility workstream
Ashleigh Cowie, Head of Video, Schroders
Lisa McGee, Research Associate, Newton Investment Management
Harleen Panesar , HSBC Asset Management Degree-Apprentice
Rahim Hussain, upReach Alumni
Jasvir Virk , Global Head of Family Office Solutions, HSBC Asset Management
Professional services firms have made significant strides (and been very vocal) on social mobility in recent years. This is demonstrated by their prominence in the Social Mobility Foundation’s Employers’ Index. This session will help members understand how they moved the dial.
Jenny Baskerville, Director, Head of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity, KPMG & Progress Together Board Member
Sarah Atkinson, Chief Executive Officer, The Social Mobility Foundation
Grace Osborne , Social Mobility, Browne Jacobson LLP
Our industry is focused in delivering good investment outcomes, and its successes rely heavily on its people. This session outlines why having a diverse investment team can lead to better culture and decision making. More speakers to be announced closer to the date.
Date: 16th October 2024 Time: 2:00-3:00pm Location: Virtual (on Zoom)
Stephanie Butcher, Co-Head of Investments, Invesco
Paras Anand, CIO, Artemis
James Lewis, Chief Investment Officer UK, Mercer UK
A virtual session in which we will broadcast the ‘Stay Down’ film from the Social Mobility Foundation, followed by a panel discussing some of the key stages of employee lifecycle in the context of social mobility. Speakers include Sarah Atkinson (Chief Executive Officer at the Social Mobility Foundation), Sophie Hulm (Chief Executive Officer at Progress Together) and Helena Morrissey (Chair of Inclusion in Finance).
Friday 15 November, 12:00-13:00 (ahead of Class Pay Gap Day on 17 November 2024)
Sophie Hulm, Chief Executive Officer, Progress Together
Sarah Atkinson, Chief Executive Officer, The Social Mobility Foundation
Helena Morrissey, Chair, Inclusion in Finance
This was an exciting event which consisted of two parts:
Firstly, we hosted a fireside chat with Duncan Exley, author of “The End of Aspiration? Social Mobility and Our Children’s Fading Prospects” on the topic of: Aspiration and its discontents – how to revive the prospects of those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
This was followed by a panel of experts who have successfully embedded social mobility into their organisations. They each shared how to set social mobility as part of a firm-wide inclusion strategy and best practices in setting up and running successful Employee Resource Groups. We hope you enjoyed this session, which allowed members to learn from their successes and mistakes!
Jenny Baskerville, CEO of Bridge Group
Darren Johnson, COO of Impax Asset Management
Niamh Fenton, Social Mobility UK Network Lead at Fidelity International
Duncan Exley, Author of “The End of Aspiration?: Social Mobility and Our Children’s Fading Prospects”
David Aujla, Multi-Asset Fund Manager, Invesco
James Whiteman, Co-lead, Social Mobility Community
Become a member by declaring your company’s support at a business level. Apply now and let us know how you can help.
