2015 Diversity Leader
Legg Mason Global Asset Management
Headquarters: Baltimore, Maryland
CEO: Joseph A. Sullivan
Employees: 3,000
Recent Recognition Includes:
- Baltimore Mayor’s Award, Legg Mason/Patterson High School/Big Brothers Big Sisters Workplace Mentoring Program (sponsored via the Diversity Council), 2013
- 2 awards, Board Leadership Program (also sponsored via the Diversity Council), which matches Legg Mason professionals with nonprofit board service opportunities
- Securities Industry Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), Diversity Award, 2012
- Profiles in Diversity Journal, Innovations in Diversity Award, 2014
ERGs are the key to the success of Legg Mason’s Diversity & Inclusion initiatives, says Joyce L. Ulrich, Managing Director, CIO, and Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Council.
“Legg Mason’s multi-location Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Council is led by our Chief Information Officer and sponsored by a member of our Executive Team. The Council has more than 40 members and includes leadership from each of our six Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), as well as a Steering Committee/ERG Advisory Group, which includes senior-level employees from across the company. Approximately 300 employees participate in our six ERGs.
“Leadership and development opportunities offered through the firm’s diversity and inclusion initiatives have enormous impact on our organization. By participating in ERGs, employees have opportunities to step outside their regular roles to learn new skills, work with global colleagues at all levels, and lead. In turn, the company has been able to develop, and perhaps retain, valuable talent. The ERGs function as an ongoing business resource—weighing in on the firm’s benefits program, for instance. But most important, participating employees have raised our awareness of diversity and inclusion at Legg Mason and in our communities.
“The firm’s ERGs create leadership opportunities for those historically underrepresented in management. These volunteer leadership roles increase self-confidence, visibility, and opportunity for individual Legg Mason professionals; their growth translates to greater success across the whole enterprise.
“Diversity and inclusion is a journey and we are sometimes not as far along as we would hope to be, but we are proud to say we continue to make significant progress.”