Coronation scoops international award for women empowerment in London

Almaree Kleinhans, Coronation general counsel, and Janice Johnstone of the 100WF SA Committee, receive the 100WF 2024 Award for women empowerment in the finance industry at a gala event in London.

This International Women’s Day, Coronation Fund Managers won a major international award for actively advancing gender equity in the finance industry.

Coronation was presented with the 2024 Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Award at the 100 Women in Finance (100WF) London Gala on the eve of International Women’s Day.

The 100 Women in Finance (100WF) global membership organisation commended Coronation for “demonstrating that, through deliberate implementation of DEI policies and initiatives, they have significantly expanded opportunities for women and black investment professionals to gain in-depth portfolio management skills and investment experience”. Coronation was also a finalist in 2023. The other finalists in 2024 were Man Group and Pictet Asset Management.

Kirshni Totaram, a senior executive at Coronation, said, “We are truly honoured to receive the prestigious 100WF Industry DEI Award, which acknowledges our commitment to nurturing a diverse workforce over our 30-year history. This award inspires us to persist on this journey, and we thank 100WF for this meaningful recognition. A heartfelt thank you to all our clients whose support enables us to sustain our initiatives.”

With an employee complement that comprises 51% women and 63% black employees, Coronation is a recognised leader in transformation in the finance industry, both locally and abroad.

In 2022 and 2023, the organisation was awarded first place for its gender reporting as a JSE-listed company at the Gender Mainstreaming Awards Africa, and in 2023 it was awarded first place for diversity at both the European Pension Funds Awards and the Irish Pension Funds Awards, as well as first place for Transparency and Reporting at the UN-supported Women Empowerment Awards.

In 2020, Coronation became a signatory to the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles, which provide guidance on how to promote gender equality and women empowerment in the workplace. Half of Coronation’s board seats (50%) are taken up by women.

Totaram, who is a champion of diversity in the investment industry, said Coronation’s ability to leverage diverse views was one of the ingredients of their continued success. “We firmly believe that diverse collaborators provide us with an inherent advantage in a competitive and unpredictable world and that fostering an inclusive work environment is critical to unlocking the diversity dividend.”

100WF frequently brings together the financial services industry to share industry leaders’ insights on topics of education and professional development for women at early career, mid-career, and senior levels.

For more information on Coronation’s transformation and training initiatives, please refer to the 2023 Coronation Sustainability Report.