Dry Powder: The Private Equity Podcast
Private equity has long trailed other industries when it comes to recruiting and retaining diverse talent.
“The numbers aren’t pretty, and I’m certain that all of your listeners know that,” says Julie Coffman, Bain’s chief diversity officer and head of our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion practice.
What may come as a surprise to our listeners is Julie’s firm conviction that private equity firms are uniquely positioned to take the lead on DEI, not only within their four walls, but across the portfolio.
“The private equity ecosystem has a chance to be incredible changemakers here,” says Julie. “Imagine the ripple effect through so many sectors of our economy.”
When you think about it, the private equity industry is a microcosm of the economy. Its leaders own companies that span the entire spectrum of global GDP, and so what better laboratory to have an actively managed industry that can actually get things done in an agile fashion, across all different industry subsectors, and do it?
“We’ve got to be testing and learning and scaling the bright spots in the places that this works.”
Today on the show, we’ll talk to Julie Coffman about how leading private equity firms are racing ahead on diversity, equity, and inclusion, and why the industry is uniquely positioned to test and deploy cutting-edge solutions across the portfolio and throughout the global economy.
The Private Equity Podcast
In our podcast series, Bain's Hugh MacArthur interviews leading experts on the trends and opportunities that will redefine the private equity industry.
Catch new episodes by subscribing to Dry Powder on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you may listen.
First published in septembre 2021