25th Annual NASP Conference

June 2014 marked the 25th anniversary of NASP (National Association of Securities Professionals) annual Pension and Financial Services Conference. NASP is committed to serving women and people of color by providing educational opportunities, advocating for equal representation and equality and helping them achieve inclusion in the financial services industry. The theme for this year’s conference was Sustaining Growth & Profitability: Maximizing Global Opportunities & Mitigating Risk. Held in San Francisco, California, professionals from around the country gathered for insightful discussions about the challenges facing the economy and industry today. The 3 day conference program included over 120 speakers, instructors, panelists and moderators from the institutional investment arena, corporate finance, municipal finance, wealth management, talent acquisition, and supplier diversity.

Nadia M. Quarles, Assistant Vice President for Business Diversity represented The University of Chicago as one of the included panelists in a panel discussion entitled, “Are Diversity Efforts Fulfilling their Promise of Access, Inclusion and Level Playing Fields? A Critical Examination of MWBE Inclusion Practices in Financial Services”. The session explored the history of minority inclusion initiatives, how they add value, unintended consequences, and various avenues for emerging leaders. Nadia was able to speak to the current state of the supplier diversity program at University of Chicago and share ways in which the value of diversity and inclusion can be developed and expanded within the financial services industry.