WEBVTT 00:00:00.208 --> 00:00:02.416 I'm here today with Roshni Bakshi, 00:00:02.416 --> 00:00:05.958 Managing Director and Head of Impact at Ever Student Capital. 00:00:06.166 --> 00:00:09.208 Roshni, thanks so much for taking the time and it's really great 00:00:09.208 --> 00:00:14.291 to have worked together on our recent research, looking into diversity 00:00:14.291 --> 00:00:18.375 and inclusion in the fund industry in Singapore and Southeast Asia. 00:00:18.750 --> 00:00:21.666 Lots of really interesting insights from that research. 00:00:21.666 --> 00:00:23.333 What was your top pick? 00:00:23.333 --> 00:00:25.000 First of all, a pleasure. 00:00:25.000 --> 00:00:28.375 And it's been fantastic working with BCG. 00:00:28.583 --> 00:00:32.208 If you remember, we went into this with some hypothesis. 00:00:33.083 --> 00:00:35.250 some of it we 00:00:35.250 --> 00:00:38.250 we saw happening in front of us, 00:00:38.666 --> 00:00:42.333 not enough senior women as you go through when you meet people, 00:00:43.708 --> 00:00:46.583 women doing a lot more functional roles 00:00:46.583 --> 00:00:49.583 as opposed to active investing and operating roles. 00:00:49.916 --> 00:00:53.666 We wanted 50% and 60% in functional roles. 00:00:54.416 --> 00:00:57.125 Wow. I mean, it just shows that, 00:00:57.125 --> 00:01:01.000 you know, fashion, maybe the fund industry is bringing in women, 00:01:01.583 --> 00:01:05.083 but putting them in areas which the rest of the fund 00:01:05.125 --> 00:01:07.125 industry feels comfortable doing. 00:01:07.125 --> 00:01:11.250 So that was, you know, one, interesting piece that we took out. 00:01:11.541 --> 00:01:14.750 The second one, if you remember, was in terms 00:01:14.750 --> 00:01:18.041 of firms awareness to putting the AI in place, 00:01:18.333 --> 00:01:21.666 which I was very positively surprised with, I did not expect it. 00:01:21.833 --> 00:01:24.875 In fact, they've we spoke to the HR managers. 00:01:25.250 --> 00:01:29.833 They in fact have the centers that they follow, policies and compliances 00:01:29.833 --> 00:01:34.916 and rules ensuring that there is and, you know, no discrimination, 00:01:34.916 --> 00:01:39.166 that there are enough women in the in the in the firms that they, that they have. 00:01:39.750 --> 00:01:42.083 But when we spoke to the women, 00:01:42.083 --> 00:01:47.000 what was what came through was that there's a big gap between what they expect 00:01:47.500 --> 00:01:50.666 and what's there as policies and processes. 00:01:50.666 --> 00:01:53.666 So why didn't you tell me some of the stuff that you saw? 00:01:53.666 --> 00:01:57.750 Actually, I felt that there was quite some discrepancy between 00:01:58.083 --> 00:02:00.791 what the companies are focusing on, 00:02:00.791 --> 00:02:04.041 which was a lot around policy, is making sure there's 00:02:04.458 --> 00:02:08.250 equal representation in senior levels, 00:02:08.958 --> 00:02:12.041 but at the same time, to, female employees on the ground 00:02:12.083 --> 00:02:12.833 really wanted 00:02:12.833 --> 00:02:17.750 and felt was practically helpful, which was much more around very practical 00:02:17.750 --> 00:02:22.208 things like more flexibility on working hours, more flexibility 00:02:22.500 --> 00:02:26.291 on where and how to work, which are all very practical things. 00:02:26.291 --> 00:02:29.875 Apparently moving much more the needle for individuals 00:02:29.875 --> 00:02:32.583 than some of these policies that are up there. 00:02:32.583 --> 00:02:36.000 And I was really encouraged by that on the one side, because I felt there's 00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:39.000 a things that are very easy and practical to implement, 00:02:39.208 --> 00:02:40.166 but at the same time, we 00:02:40.166 --> 00:02:44.041 haven't seen funds doing so much of that, or at least not in a structured way. 00:02:44.041 --> 00:02:47.083 So definitely something the companies can work on. 00:02:47.458 --> 00:02:48.958 But yet very practical. 00:02:48.958 --> 00:02:52.500 Women have different life stages, and the most important one 00:02:52.500 --> 00:02:54.083 is when you support her. 00:02:54.083 --> 00:02:57.833 When she's had her first child and I think if she goes through that hump, 00:02:58.416 --> 00:02:59.875 she's able to climb further. 00:02:59.875 --> 00:03:02.916 So I think that's that's an important one for firms to take. 00:03:03.416 --> 00:03:05.875 The other thing that we put together was the seven pointers. 00:03:05.875 --> 00:03:10.791 If you remember at the end, which was our analysis of what can be done 00:03:10.791 --> 00:03:17.083 practically for the industry to really bring on board and retain more of them. 00:03:17.166 --> 00:03:18.458 It's not about bringing them on board, 00:03:18.458 --> 00:03:21.833 but to retain them and enable and encourage them to grow. 00:03:22.333 --> 00:03:25.166 One of that was actually finding 00:03:25.166 --> 00:03:29.875 senior mentors for younger women because there are questions. 00:03:29.875 --> 00:03:31.250 They don't know whether you know 00:03:31.250 --> 00:03:33.958 what they're doing is right or wrong, what should where should they go? 00:03:33.958 --> 00:03:34.958 How should their career grow? 00:03:34.958 --> 00:03:38.625 Because I think men have a lot of that continuously, 00:03:39.333 --> 00:03:43.250 mentors, colleagues, others, alumni that they can reach out to. 00:03:43.250 --> 00:03:44.916 Women don't have so many. 00:03:44.916 --> 00:03:46.250 And that's what the data showed, right? 00:03:46.250 --> 00:03:50.250 Like almost 70% of the survey respondents were actually 00:03:50.250 --> 00:03:54.250 looking for a more structured talent management approach. 00:03:54.291 --> 00:03:58.250 Yes, in the companies and particularly more senior mentors 00:03:58.250 --> 00:04:00.041 and could be male and female. 00:04:00.041 --> 00:04:01.541 And what I found interesting was 00:04:01.541 --> 00:04:05.625 that it's not about the availability of mentors, right. 00:04:05.625 --> 00:04:08.875 So there's a lot of seniors who are actually willing to take on that role. 00:04:09.208 --> 00:04:11.875 But somehow the match doesn't really work today. 00:04:11.875 --> 00:04:16.083 And I think that's really where firms can help with in the more structured May 00:04:16.083 --> 00:04:21.458 to bringing talent and mentors together and really kind of make that work.