Franklin Templeton Celebrates Women's History Month

Franklin Templeton’s Women at FT business resource group (BRG), in partnership with its specialist investment organizations, hosted more than 30 events to honor International Women’s Day (IWD) and Month.

“I am delighted by all the support and commitment for Women’s History Month. Each of the over 30 events around the world, and the many other ways to engage throughout the month, made a significant impact on all of us,” said Rosie Bueti, FT Project Manager and global lead the Women at FT BRG.

In addition to individual events, the month-long learning challenge explored gender bias, its impact and how to empower women at work through short daily videos. Employees showed their solidarity with #ChooseToChallenge selfies and promoted the month through video backgrounds and email signatures. A "Wall of Women" was created to feature and celebrate the achievements of women who work at FT and its specialist investment organizations.​

On March 10 employees tuned in for the flagship global event: a shortened screening of the documentary $avvy. The film, which FT sponsored, investigates the historical, cultural and societal norms around women and money and premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on March 31.

“I’m passionate about attracting more women to this industry,” said Jenny Johnson, CEO and President. “It’s better for all of us, and this film is another way to get that message out.”

After the viewing, Chief Diversity Officer Regina Curry moderated a Q&A about why it’s critical for women to understand and control their personal finances. Participants included the film’s director and producer, Robin Hauser; Jenny Johnson; and Freda Zietlow, Senior Portfolio Manager, Fiduciary Trust. 

“Start today,” Jenny said when asked what practical steps people can take to gain control of their financial life. “Start looking; start understanding. You have to take the first step and that’s sometimes the hardest part.”

Local events across the firm

Employees in Australia took part in an external event with the chancellor of the Australian National University, and former foreign minister of Australia.

The Poland office organized several virtual events during the month, each attended by number of employees and led by inspiring women. Employees organized a discussion panel with local leaders who shared their ideas and insights on this year’s IWD theme, #ChooseToChallenge. The panelists explained what #ChooseToChallenge means to them both professionally and personally. They touched on the topic of gender inequality in everyday life and at work and shared ideas on challenging stereotypes.

The firm's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council hosted an event, “Women in Leadership,”​ featuring a panel of leaders from specialist investment organization Brandywine Global. The panelists discussed their professional path, the challenges they’ve faced and what they see for the future of women leaders at the workplace. 

Employees in India joined to hear an external speaker and author. She coauthored a collection of inspiring stories about 51 women in India who chose to challenge the status quo and make a difference in their society.

The firm's office in Mexico invited female employees and clients to listen to an author discuss tools for women to survive post COVID-19, when employment, health and money are in crisis and have affected home life.

FT’s diversity and inclusion (D&I) group in Luxembourg organized a panel discussion featuring some of the firm’s advocates for strengthening awareness around the global status of women.

Franklin Templeton's fitness and wellness consultant hosted a wellness webinar about body image, which encouraged the attendees to challenge negative opinions of their bodies and shared how to cultivate a positive body image. Relaxation, meditation and fitness classes were held to mark IWD. Human Resources presented workshops about wellness and work-life benefits available at FT.

Employees were invited to Women’s Month events hosted by specialist investment organization  Western Asset’s UNITE employee resource group (ERG). Employees attended UNITE’s first Spotlight Series event featuring a female portfolio administrator. She reflected on her 32 years with Western Asset and shared insights on her career, personal challenges, the civil unrest last summer and advice to young women embarking on their careers.

The month of events concluded with a session called “Empowering Yourself: Learning How to Make Anxiety Work for You." A guest therapist shared how to navigate strong emotions, understand and manage emotional triggers and implement coping strategies.

About Franklin Templeton

Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE:BEN], is a global investment management organization with subsidiaries operating as Franklin Templeton and serving clients in over 165 countries. Franklin Templeton’s mission is to help clients achieve better outcomes through investment management expertise, wealth management and technology solutions. Through its specialist investment managers, the company brings extensive capabilities in equity, fixed income, multi-asset solutions and alternatives. With offices in more than 30 countries and approximately 1,300 investment professionals, the California-based company has over 70 years of investment experience and approximately $1.5 trillion in assets under management as of March 31, 2021. For more information, please visit franklintempleton.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.