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Diversity Equity & Inclusion

As a data-driven firm, we are convinced by the evidence that diversity leads to strength across all facets of our organization – resilient portfolios, more creative decision-making, a vibrant culture, and business success.

Our Commitment

We recognize the historical truth of inequity and are committed to a more equitable representation of the world we serve. Acadian’s commitment to DE&I is grounded in ambition, action, and accountability.  We understand where we are and where we need to go.

We recently signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion Pledge to formalize our commitment to diversity and inclusion. The Pledge specifies actions that signatories must follow in order to “cultivate a trusting environment where all ideas are welcomed, and employees feel comfortable and empowered to have discussions about diversity and inclusion.”

Acadian has signed on to the Boston Women’s Workforce Council’s 100% Talent Compact ("Compact"). The Compact is a first-in-the-nation, public/private partnership in which businesses pledge to take concrete, measurable steps to eliminate their wage gaps and report their progress and employee demographic and salary data anonymously every two years. Our longtime participation in the Compact helps us extend our own philosophy on equal pay beyond Acadian’s doors and into the community. The goal is to help all participants better understand the forces driving inequality in the workforce and to help the city develop strategies in response.

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DE&I efforts are most successful when there is an accountable governance structure in place. We have an active Diversity & Inclusion Forum with members from across all areas of the business that guides our approach, sets our overall strategy, and ensures we meet our goals.

 

A dedicated D&I Director role underscores our commitment to DE&I and ensures that we have a full-time person on our team moving this work forward on the ground level, keeping all parties focused on our goals, and thinking strategically about our future.

Talent

Acadian strives for a talented, diverse, collaborative, and balanced workplace where everyone can be themselves, contribute their unique talents to the success of the firm, and reach their professional development potential.

Slide Stars

Leadership Goals

In order to ensure our goals are met, Acadian’s leaders have established a specific diverse representation goal for our leadership that we aspire to achieve over a five-year period. This means progress is always being made toward our organizational talent and other DE&I goals, and our leaders are held accountable through an annual evaluation process.

People

Valuable Internships

Diverse young talent is our future, and we offer pathways to success through valuable paid internship experiences.  At all times of year, interns from a variety of backgrounds and academic disciplines are working on meaningful projects with leaders across our firm. 

 

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People Bridge

Partnerships and Pipeline

We are proud to have cultivated productive and beneficial recruiting and training partnerships with a number of organizations, including The Posse Foundation, Women Who Code, ALPHA, MIT Office of Minority Education, Women in Technology, and UNCF.

The long-overdue conversations about DE&I are, at last, becoming more meaningful in the corporate world. The financial industry is taking a much-needed look at itself and how, or if, it represents the investors and communities it serves. This begins with a reflection on where we have progressed and an honest look at how much more we need to do.

Kelly Young
Kelly Young EVP, Chief Marketing Officer

Leading With Our Values

We value differing viewpoints and a collaborative process, ensuring all voices are heard and respected. DE&I is a strategic goal, and we believe that leveraging our broad talents and backgrounds is one of the keys to our success.

Firmwide

WORKFORCE DIVERSITY

35%

FEMALE

32%

RACIALLY/ETHNICALLY DIVERSE

30+

CULTURES

22%

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S Curve Awareness Program

Awareness Programs

Acadian sponsors a Women’s Forum, open to women and their allies at the firm, to raise awareness of gender issues in the workplace and to offer education, networking opportunities, and the support of senior management to help promote women’s leadership and advancement. Programming also includes fitness events, leadership opportunities, and sponsorship of conferences such as the Massachusetts Conference for Women and the Simmons Leadership Conference. Our co-CEO Ross Dowd currently serves as the Forum’s Executive Sponsor.

S Curve Work Life Balance

Work and Life Balance

Our benefits package is comprehensive and progressive. We care deeply about our employees’ health and well-being and are aware that work is often only one priority in their lives. To that end, we offer flexibility in work schedule and arrangements. For parents, our birth/adoption and family/medical leave benefits put us among the most progressive firms in our industry.

Supplier Diversity

 

We actively work to partner with diverse vendors, focusing on minority, women, veteran, and disability-owned businesses.  We also assess the internal DE&I practices of all our vendors. By better understanding the companies we work with, we can better contribute to economic equity in our communities.  We leverage our strengths in data management and analysis to define quantitative objectives and mark our progress toward this goal.

 

Supplier Diversity Form

Community Engagement

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Acadian supports innovative, high-impact organizations that empower those in underserved communities with educational opportunities and financial resources that have traditionally been out of reach.

FEATURED NEWS

A Conversation with Rebecca Rosen, Acadian’s Director of Diversity & Inclusion

Acadian’s Director of Diversity and Inclusion (D&I), Rebecca Rosen, shares her thoughts on developing a strong D&I policy and offers useful D&I resources for those engaging in this important work and those looking to get started.

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Leadership Insights Kelly Young discusses our organizational focus on Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity is a subject that has grown in importance in recent years and is top of mind for Acadian clients, consultants, and employees alike. Having joined Acadian’s Executive Management Team 18 months ago, it’s also a topic of great personal importance to me.

The Conversation Continues: Progress Disrupted, Not Derailed

The COVID crisis has underscored society's reliance on women both at work and at home, and the impact of the pandemic has, perhaps unsurprisingly, not been 'gender neutral.' The effects of this past year have been felt disproportionately by women who work in industries such as retail, food service, childcare/early education, and domestic work—which happen to be among the segments hardest-hit by the pandemic.

We are an equal opportunity employer. Our culture emphasizes mutual respect, acceptance, tolerance, and cooperation among all employees, regardless of age, gender, race, national or ethnic origin, physical abilities, religious beliefs, or sexual orientation. We believe that understanding and valuing diversity not only helps our employees to develop as individuals, but also greatly enhances our ability to serve a diverse global client base.  In short, we believe diversity makes Acadian a stronger company and a more rewarding place to work for all.