The Glass Hammer: Tara Stafford, Project Manager, PGIM Operations & Innovation
“Don't be afraid to be authentically you." says Tara Stafford, project manager, Operations & Innovation at PGIM.
Historically Black colleges and universities are a critical learning path for Black students seeking quality higher education in the United States, yet face challenges in accumulating substantial endowments, a crucial factor for ensuring institutional stability and growth. A new study launched by United Negro College Fund (UNCF) and PGIM explores these challenges and finds four main constraints for HBCU endowment professionals tied to lack of funding and the comparably small size of their endowments.
PGIM established a “5-over-5” goal in 2018 to increase the proportion of underrepresented talent at the senior-most levels of PGIM by 5% over five years. Globally, we have achieved a 4% increase in underrepresented talent at the senior-most levels from year-end 2018 through year-end 2022 and are on track to hit our 5% goal by year-end 2023.
Inclusion is not just something we aspire to, it’s an obligation. Our leaders and colleagues across the globe are committed to creating a culture of belonging, where diverse perspectives are celebrated. With the understanding that change starts at the top, we’ve committed to a “5-over-5” goal to increase diverse representation at the senior-most levels of PGIM by 5% over the next 5 years. We have clear goals in place that we are tracking, and we are actively making progress to achieve these goals each and every day!
Diverse ideas, perspectives and people are the foundation of PGIM’s enduring success. By promoting an equitable workplace, and a welcoming and inclusive environment, we nurture a “low ego” culture that allows all employees to bring their whole self to work, and to harness our collective intelligence for the benefit of our clients and the broader PGIM community.
To meet the needs of our diverse community, we offer global programming year-round and celebrate the ways we are more alike than we are different. Our global inclusion initiatives provide opportunities for the PGIM community to come together and celebrate International Women’s Day, Pride Month, Inclusion Month and more. We provide these platforms so our employees can have their individual voices heard, and to support and empower them as they drive the positive change they want to see in the world.
Aligned with our unwavering commitment to driving greater diversity and inclusion across the asset management industry, we are excited to announce that we've partnered with CFA Institute to develop and become one of the first 25 signatories to the Institute's new DEI Code.
PGIM is committed to creating a more diverse and equitable workplace where all talent can thrive. To support this commitment and help advance diversity in asset management, PGIM launched the Ron Andrews Diversity Scholarship. The merit-based scholarship honors retired Head of Human Resources for the U.S. Businesses of Prudential Financial, Inc., Ron Andrews, and is available to PGIM intern applicants who identify as Black, Latinx, Native American, LGBTQ+ and/or Differently Abled.
To learn more about PGIM's Ron Andrews Diversity Scholarship, click here or email PGIM’s Inclusion & Diversity team.
“Don't be afraid to be authentically you." says Tara Stafford, project manager, Operations & Innovation at PGIM.
PGIM and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) partnered together to better understand the challenges of HBCUs attempting to grow and manage their endowments.
Joint study identifies private HBCUs’ main constraints in growing their endowments and how asset managers can help optimize their investment returns.