Advancing Diversity & Inclusion Outcomes:
Measurable Steps to Create Lasting Change
What are financial firms doing in 2021 to facilitate more diverse and inclusive work places? Once your firm says “Yes, we want to be part of the solution,” what next? What does a successful Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) strategy look like? How do you measure what matters?
 
This live, online DEI program is an opportunity to hear from local leaders on DEI and get an update on CFA Institute’s Experimental Partners Program, which followed more than 40 firms for 2 years as they moved ‘beyond talk’ and began putting diversity and inclusion ideas into action.
 
Keynote and Moderator Orlando Williams will be providing an on-point call to leadership, sharing results-based ideas and actions, and leading a conversation on creating lasting change in our industry. Presenters will be sharing actions their organizations have taken, hurdles overcome and practical insights that attendees can put to work at their own firms on critical topics, including:

  • Preparing your organizational culture to be more inclusive
  • Getting beyond an “insiders” and “outsiders” workplace for all employees
  • Recruiting and retention insights and lessons learned
  • Finance industry specific challenges and opportunities
KEYNOTE SPEAKER AND MODERATOR:
Orlando L. Williams
Chief Executive & Equity Officer
Motus Recruiting and Staffing
 
Orlando L. Williams is chief executive & equity officer of Motus Recruiting and Staffing, Inc. and Motus Technology Solutions Inc. Before founding Motus in 2006, Orlando started his recruiting career as an ambassador for prospective visiting athletes at the University of Oregon. He also served in a high-profile advocacy role as a player and Community Outreach Ambassador of Goodwill for the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters. After a successful athletic career Orlando launched his professional corporate career working as a corporate recruiter at the Nike World Headquarters, and he never looked back.
 
Under Orlando’s leadership, Motus is one of the leading recruiting firmsin the Pacific Northwest. As one of the few certified Oregon MBE recruiting firms in Oregon, Motus aims to educate individuals and organizations on the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workforce. In 2016, Orlando founded the Oregon Diversity Recruiting Council which offers strategies and training to recruit, retain, and promote BIPOC candidates in Oregon & Pacific Northwest-based organizations.
 
Orlando has devoted his life to serving community in the areas of children, employment, housing and healthcare and serves as a board member for several local organizations, including Self Enhancement, Inc. (SEI), Legacy Health Foundation, Central City Concern, the Oregon Department of Health and Oregon Health Authority Audit committee.
 
Orlando completed his undergraduate studies in economics at the University of Oregon and his MBA from the University of Phoenix. Orlando also holds a diversity and inclusion certification from Cornell University.
 
In addition to his contributions to the community, Orlando is a game analyst for the Portland Trail Blazers. In his spare time, he enjoys Bible study, spending time with his wife and kids, traveling, and reading an endless amount of history books.
SPECIAL GUEST:
Sarah Maynard
Global Head, External Inclusion & Diversity Strategies
and Programs
CFA Institute
 
Sarah Maynard joined CFA Institute in 2019 in the newly created role of Global Head, External Inclusion & Diversity Strategies and Programs.
 
Sarah leads a global, industry-recognized, external I&D program portfolio for our key stakeholders: candidates, members, societies and institutions.
 
An experienced investment professional, prior to joining CFA Institute, Sarah was Client Communications Director and Head of Stewardship at Majedie Asset Management, an independent global investment firm based in the UK. In this role, she focused on ESG, especially governance, with a keen interest in how companies can achieve success through improving inclusion in stewardship. Prior to that, she was Director of Career Development at CFA Society UK, and a founder of their Women’s Network, which is now the Inclusion & Diversity Network. Sarah previously worked as an analyst and fund manager.
 
She earned her MA degree in English Language and Literature at Trinity College, Oxford, holds the ASIP and is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development.
PANELISTS:
Rukaiyah Adams
Chief Investment Officer
Meyer Memorial Trust

Rukaiyah Adams is the Chief Investment Officer at Meyer Memorial Trust, one of the largest charitable foundations in the Pacific Northwest. She is responsible for leading all investment activities to ensure the long-term financial strength of the organization. Throughout her tenure as CIO, Ms. Adams has delivered top quartile performance; and beginning in 2017, her team hit its stride delivering an 18.6% annual return, which placed her in top 5% of foundation and endowment CIOs. Under the leadership of Ms. Adams, Meyer increased assets managed by diverse managers by more than 3x, to 40% of all assets under management, and women managers by 10x, to 25% of AUM, proving that hiring diverse managers is not a concessionary practice.
 
Before joining Meyer, Ms. Adams ran the $6.5 billion capital markets fund at The Standard, a publicly traded company. At the Standard, she oversaw six trading desks that included several bond strategies, preferred equities, derivatives and other risk mitigation strategies.
 
Ms. Adams was the chair of the prestigious Oregon Investment Council, the board that manages approximately $100 billion of public pension and other assets for the State of Oregon. During her tenure as chair, the Oregon state pension fund has been the top-performing public pension fund in the United States. The top-of-class performance was made possible by a series of strategic changes, overseen by Ms. Adams, that boosted returns and decreased risk.
 
Ms. Adams serves on the boards of directors of the Albina Vision Trust, the Self Enhancement, Inc. Foundation, Oregon Public Broadcasting, and Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU). She also serves on the investment committees for OPB and OHSU. She has engaged in pro bono legal work on behalf of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, the Homeless Prenatal Program in San Francisco, and the Children’s Defense Fund. Her 2016 Ted talk — A Homegirl’s Guide to Being Powerful — about her path to becoming a more thoughtful investor and the role of investment capital in achieving social justice has more than 10,000 views.
Ms. Adams holds a BA with academic distinction from Carleton College, a Juris Doctorate from Stanford Law School, where she was on the Law and Policy Review and the Co-President of the Law Student Association, and a Masters of Business Administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where she served as the CEO of Challenge for Charity.
 
She has received many accolades, but is most proud of being named a Woman of Distinction by the Portland Business Journal in 2017.
Tana Thomson
Chief People Officer
Vista Capital Partners

Tana Thomson is currently the Chief People Officer and sits on the Executive Committee for Vista Capital Partners. Prior to Vista she was the VP of Human Resources for Xenium HR an outsourced HR services company serving over 400 clients in varying industries where she led a team of 55 employees. She has served in a senior leadership role for the past 14 years and has partnered with many executive teams to help build great workplaces. Her expertise areas are in leadership coaching, performance management, training and development, compensation and total rewards, culture development and employee relations. Tana holds a BA in Business Administration from OSU and is a SHRM- Senior Certified Professional and Certified Compensation Professional. In her spare time Tana enjoys volunteering for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and Project Lemonade. In 2018, she served as the Corporate Walk Chair for Light the Night and currently serves as a Board Trustee for LLS and Board Chair for Project Lemonade.
Louis C. Taylor
President, Senior Financial Advisor
Taylor Wealth Management
 
Louis Taylor is the President and Senior Financial Advisor of Taylor Wealth Management, Corp. As a graduate of Western Oregon University, Louis started promptly in the investment business with a small Wall Street-based company and for the first six years of his career, he thrived there. In 2004 he walked away from that firm and went Independent to pursue his vision of allowing clients to participate in their own success. In 2010, he founded Taylor Wealth Management where he helps business owners, corporate executives, celebrities and athletes to transform their income into wealth. His focus is on building their security, legacy and freedom with his financial management and planning services. 
 
Louis has committed his professional life to teaching people how to make their money work for them in the way they want it to. He has served on Western Oregon University Board of Directors, Friends of the Children junior board, currently serves on The Fly Foundation board and is a regular speaker at Fortune 500 company minority employee networks. In his free time he is a man of faith, prioritizes spending time with his family, an avid outdoorsman, golfer and has a love for fast cars.
Join us on Thursday, March 18, 2021 from 1:30 – 4pm Pacific Time.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.