As the world was rushing to respond to the first global pandemic seen in decades, racial tension and police brutality quickly amplified the complexity and anxiety of working from home.

As the events of 2020 continued to unfold the firm’s management team, employee resource groups, and all our allies leapt into action. George Walker, CEO, led the charge with a letter to the firm expressing his views on the current situation and offering words of encouragement. He followed up this letter with a video where he shared how his family was responding and his commitment to be a part of the solution. This authentic and transparent display of leadership was followed up by similar notes, calls and support by the rest of the senior management team.

• Led by the firm’s Black Partners, Neuberger Berman was also able to make a $1M contribution to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (single biggest donation in firm’s history) with support from our colleagues around the globe.
• Our HCM supported this effort through a series of workshops, webinars and trainings centered on the “Roots of Racism” to give historical context.
• Our employee resource groups with leadership from our Black employee ERG (Neuberger Berman Black Experience of NBE), sent our information on how people could get involved in and outside the office.
• NBE launched a Racial Equity focus group, aimed at creating safe space for colleagues to come together and learn how to create antiracist organizations.
• The NB Pride and NBE ergs sponsored a panel discussion on social justice.
• The CSR team curated a digital library of content including books, articles/blogs, movies, websites, and organizations to support to give employees more tools to constructively engage.

Monica Warek