The 'looking at your shoes' moment: Let's talk about race

The industry's wake-up call to end racism and boost diversity

Lauren Mason
clock • 12 min read

Black senior members of the asset management industry have urged colleagues and employers to start unpacking the BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) acronym, place more emphasis on race equality in their diversity & inclusion policies and to be more active in standing against workplace and societal racism, warning that "every single one of us is either part of the solution or part of the problem".

This comes less than three weeks after the murder of George Floyd, a 46 year-old black man who was murdered by a police officer during an arrest for allegedly using a counterfeit bill. On 28 May, three days after the killing, then-Franklin Templeton executive Amy Cooper threatened to call police after Christian Cooper - unrelated to her - asked her to put her dog on a lead in a wooded area of Central Park, New York, as it was against policy.  On phone footage taken by Christian, Amy then threatened to call the police and "tell them there is an African American man threatening my life"...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Investment

Wealth Club launches UK's first private markets SIPP

Wealth Club launches UK's first private markets SIPP

45% income tax relief

Patrick Brusnahan
clock 24 March 2026 • 1 min read
Rebalancing act: Sometimes doing very little in portfolio management is the hardest thing to do

Rebalancing act: Sometimes doing very little in portfolio management is the hardest thing to do

'More often, it's the quieter disciplines that matter most'

Phillip Young
clock 23 March 2026 • 3 min read
Crypto investors receive 40 times more HMRC tax warnings than stock traders

Crypto investors receive 40 times more HMRC tax warnings than stock traders

Data shows enforcement activity shift

clock 19 March 2026 • 2 min read