Conference Co-sponsors:          Rutgers Business School

                                                            Federal Reserve System – Office of Employee Benefits

                                                            Global Interdependence Center

The conference will explore issues and solutions for improving opportunities for minorities and women in the financial services sector.  Through a combination of panel discussions and presentations by a broad range of industry professionals, academics and current students, the conference will shed light on the full range of issues and challenges that impact the level of diversity within the industry.

Participants and attendees will walk away with a better understanding of the current level diversity within the financial services industry, along with tangible approaches being proposed and/or implemented to improve outcomes.  The conference will also serve as the springboard for launching the “Center for Research on Diversity in the Financial Services Industry” at the Rutgers Business School to promote academic research and future events on this important topic.

The morning session will feature a keynote address on this topic by President John C. Williams, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.

A small number of rooms are available at the Newark Hilton at Penn Station for the night preceding the conference at a discounted rate. There will also be transportation from the hotel to the conference venue in the morning. If interested, please contact Carolyn Hubbard of the Federal Reserve Bank’s Office of Employee Benefits at 973-848-3611.

AGENDA

7:45 – 8:30 am

Conference Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:30 – 8:45 am

Introduction and Welcome By Conference Sponsors

• Paul McAuliffe, Executive Director, Federal Reserve Office of Employee Benefits
• Jerome Williams, Provost, Rutgers University – Newark
• Peter A. Gold, Esq., GIC Vice Chair and Principal, TheGoldGroup, LLC

8:45 – 9:30 am

Keynote Address by John Williams, President and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco

9:30 – 9:40 am

Opening remarks by The Honorable Mayor Ras J. Baraka, City of Newark

9:40 – 10:40 am: Panel #1: “Preparing Minority and Female Students for Careers in Financial Services – How Are We Doing?”  

This panel will discuss how the current educational system at the high school and college levels is preparing minorities and women for careers in the financial services industry.  Particular emphasis will be placed on discussing examples of innovative programs being implemented to promote skills development and career readiness.

Moderator: Liz Smith, Senior Managing Director, AllianceBernstein L.P. (“AB”)

Confirmed Panelists:

• Dean Lei Lei, Rutgers Business School – Newark and New Brunswick
• Father Robert Sandoz, President, Christ the King Prep, Newark, NJ
• Julian Johnson, Executive Vice President, Sponsors for Educational Opportunity
• Seema Hingorani, Founder and Chair, Girls Who Invest
• Dr. Sangeeta Rao, Assistant Dean for Mentoring Programs, Rutgers Business School – Newark and New Brunswick

10:40 – 11:00 am: Break

11:00 am – 12:00 noon: Panel #2: “Recruiting Minority and Female Students in Financial Services Firms: Designing a Strategy for Success

This panel will address the recruitment process in the financial services industry for minorities and women out of college and midway in their careers.  The discussion will include a description of current recruitment approaches for minorities and women from the perspective of employers, career placement officers and current college students and/or recent graduates.

Moderator: Nicolaine M. Lazarre, General Counsel, National Urban League

Confirmed Panelists:

• Thomas Hopkins, Assistant Dean, Director of Rutgers-Newark Career Dev. Center
• Michelle Bucaria, Firmwide Head of Campus Recruiting, J.P. Morgan Chase
• Susan Mink, Executive Vice President – Human Resources, Federal Reserve Bank of New York
• Edith Cooper, Managing Director, Global Head of Human Capital Management,Goldman Sachs

12:00 noon – 1:00 pm: Buffet Lunch

1:00 – 2:15 pm: Panel #3: “Embracing Diversity Within the Organization – Successful Case Studies”

This panel will include senior officers/managers from across the financial services industry presenting specific approaches and policies within their individual firms for enhancing diversity.  For each firm, we will discuss 1) the impetus and specific objectives of the firm’s policies, 2) challenges and opportunities within the organization for improving diversity, and 3) tangible benefits the firm has realized through its efforts to improve inclusiveness.

Moderator:                        Nancy DiTomaso, Distinguished Professor, Rutgers Business School

Confirmed Panelists:

• David Wilcox, Director of Research and Statistics, Federal Reserve Board of Governors
• Robert Falzon, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Prudential Financial
• Natasha Radden, Vice President and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, TIAA
• John Basile, Senior Vice President – Diversity and Inclusion, Fidelity Investments

2:15 – 2:30 pm: Break

2:30 – 3:25 pm: Panel #4: “Breaking Through the Glass Ceiling: Why Don’t We See More Minorities and Women in the Executive Suite?”

This panel will discuss why few minorities and women appear to be in senior leadership positions at financial services firms.  Perceived barriers to advancement will be discussed, with a focus on examples where minorities and women have been successful in attaining senior leadership positions.

Moderator:                         Janice Ellig, co-CEO, Chadick Ellig

Confirmed Panelists:

• George Walker, Chairman and CEO, Neuberger Berman
• Lisa Buckingham, Executive Vice President, Lincoln Financial Group
• Michelle Lee, Executive Vice President, Wells Fargo Corporation
• Michele Meyer-Shipp, Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, Prudential Financial

3:25 – 4:20 pm: Panel #5: “Minority and Female Entrepreneurs in Financial Services: What Does it Take to Succeed”

The final panel will focus on success stories of minorities and women who have established and/or led their own financial services firms. Panelists will discuss their first-hand experiences and challenges of going out on their own to pursue their entrepreneurial ambitions, along with their thoughts on what steps they took at different points in their careers that helped them advance.  

Moderator:  Diane Ashley, Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, Federal Reserve Bank of New York

Confirmed Panelists:

• Mary Pugh, President and CEO, Pugh Capital Management
• Suzanne Shank, CEO of Siebert Brandford Shank & Co., L.L.C.
• Jose Feliciano, Founder and Managing Partner, Clearlake Capital 
• Preston D. Pinkett, III, Chairman and CEO, City National Bank

4:20 – 4:30 pm: Closing Remarks

4:30 – 6:30 pm: Reception