Marques Benton joined Loomis Sayles as its first chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer.
The role is new, a spokeswoman confirmed. Mr. Benton reports to Kevin Charleston, CEO and president, and John Russell, head of human resources and senior counsel.
Mr. Benton is responsible for putting the firm's diversity, equity and inclusion strategic plan into action. He'll focus on attracting, developing and retaining diverse talent and engaging with all staff to promote a firmwide culture of inclusion.
"He brings considerable expertise in diversity, equity and inclusion to the firm and his leadership will be critical as we strive to continually make significant improvements in these areas," Mr. Charleston said in a news release. "Creating an environment where we can attract and integrate talented individuals with different lived experiences is a business imperative; we are deeply committed to build on our existing foundation and Marques will be integral to our work creating meaningful change."
The $347.8 billion money manager has a DEI committee and governance model, customized firmwide diversity training, active employee resource groups and industry engagement processes in place, including partnerships with consultants and the CFA Institute. It also runs internship and mentorship programs for candidates that are underrepresented in the money management industry.
Mr. Benton joined from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. He was a vice president and chief diversity officer, the release said.
