Mellody Hobson, co-CEO and President of the $13 billion investment management firm Ariel Investments and one of the most prominent female leaders in corporate America, is engaging with investment consulting firm NEPC on a key issue: diversity in finance. The exclusive fireside chat with Ariel Investments’ Mellody Hobson will take place on February 4 at 2:00 p.m. at NEPC’s Boston headquarters.

In a fireside chat titled, “Is the Investment Industry Ready to be Color Brave?”, Hobson will address an audience of financial professionals alongside Chenae Edwards, a Senior Consultant on NEPC’s Healthcare team and co-chair of NEPC’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Network. The talk will return to issues Hobson raises in her popular TED Talk on the importance of speaking openly about diversity in hiring to improve business and society at large.

This exclusive event is a continuation of NEPC’s commitment to shaping the Future Fundamentals of Investing and championing diversity as one of the core pillars that will define the investment industry. NEPC has a dedicated Diverse Manager Committee and recently unveiled a diverse manager policy with specific goals to increase NEPC’s engagement with diverse managers. Cumulatively, $32.5 billion of client assets are invested with diverse firms across 182 strategies and more than 43 percent of NEPC’s clients have exposure to diverse managers. The research-driven investment consultant firmly believes in the value of partnering and engaging with changemakers like Hobson to move the needle on diversity in the financial industry.

During the conversation with NEPC, Hobson will share powerful insights from her successful 28-year-career and remarkable rise through the ranks at Ariel Investments, from intern to co-CEO and president. Hobson leads one of the largest minority-owned money management firms in the United States and is a nationally recognized champion of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Edwards and Hobson will also discuss the critical urgency of increasing diversity in finance, why a diverse investment staff is a competitive advantage, and steps key leaders in finance can take to bridge the diversity gap.

Beyond Ariel Investments, Hobson holds leadership positions on the boards of several Fortune 500 companies, including serving as vice-chair of the Board of Starbucks Corporation and as a director of JPMorgan Chase. Previously, she was a long-standing board member of the Estée Lauder Companies and also held the position of Chairman of the Board of DreamWorks Animation until which time she facilitated its sale to Comcast.

Those interested in attending should contact nepc@fullyvested.com to secure a spot.

About NEPC, LLC

NEPC is an independent investment consultant and private wealth advisor with more than 30 years’ experience creating research-based, bespoke investment portfolios that align to the goals of its clients and their constituencies. Combining a proprietary research team dedicated to the long-term challenges facing institutional and high-net investors, with our unique client-centric model, NEPC builds the investment portfolios defining the future of finance.

We service over 360 retained clients representing assets over $1 trillion from our offices in Boston, Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Detroit, Las Vegas, Portland and San Francisco with a forward-thinking approach to solving the most complex challenges facing the investment industry.

To learn more about NEPC, please visit https://www.nepc.com/

About Ariel Investments

Ariel Investments, LLC is a money management firm headquartered in Chicago, with offices in New York City and Sydney. Ariel Investments serves individual and institutional investors through its no-load mutual funds and separate accounts. As of July 31, 2019, Ariel Investments’ firm-wide assets under management totaled approximately $13.0 billion. For more information about the firm, please visit Ariel’s website at arielinvestments.com.