Contacts:
Joan Lensing – 610-430-7684
[email protected]
Newton Lamson – 212-751-6126
[email protected]
For Immediate Release
Brinker Capital and Lockwood Advisors/Pershing Receive
Gateway to Leadership Sponsor Recognition Awards
WASHINGTON, D.C., May 9, 2012 – At the Money Management Institute’s (MMI) Annual Gateway to Leadership Awards Dinner in Chicago on April 25, Brinker Capital, Inc. and BNY Mellon affiliates Lockwood Advisors, Inc. and Pershing LLC received the Sponsor Recognition Award for their outstanding commitment to and ongoing support of the Gateway to Leadership workforce diversity program.
The Gateway to Leadership (GTL) program focuses exclusively on fostering workplace diversity in the financial services industry by providing internships and career opportunities for students from 26 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) which have participated in the program. A 501(c)(3) charity, GTL is administered by UNCF and sponsored by MMI, the national association for the managed investment solutions and wealth management industry, and its member firms. Proceeds from the fundraising dinner, which was part of MMI’s Annual Convention, will benefit the GTL workplace diversity program.
In presenting the awards to James Seuffert, President and CEO of Lockwood, and John E. Coyne, III, President of Brinker, MMI Chairman Matt Witkos said, “These two firms recognize the importance to our industry of bringing more African-Americans into the leadership ranks of financial services firms where they have been traditionally underrepresented. They recognize, too, that the full commitment they have made to this program since its inception six years ago is more than being socially responsible – it is also good business.”
“The GTL partnership between MMI and UNCF has been a highly successful one,” commented Karl W. Reid, UNCF Senior Vice President, Academic Programs and Strategic Initiatives, who was the keynote speaker at the GTL awards dinner. “Since its inception, GTL has brought over 100 qualified interns together with the nation’s leading financial services firms, and a number of GTL alumni have been hired at MMI-affiliated firms or other prominent financial services firms. It’s a win-win-win situation: a win for the students who get great career opportunities, a win for the firms that get these high-performing interns, and a win for the financial services industry.”
“The program has worked well for us and other participating firms,” said Mr. Coyne. “MMI brings to the table its comprehensive knowledge of the industry, while UNCF has substantial experience in shaping and overseeing successful internship programs. For our part, we get to choose interns from an extraordinarily rich talent pool.”
“The need for programs like GTL in our industry is evident,” said Mr. Seuffert, MMI Chairman Emeritus. “African Americans make up less than six percent of finance executives, managers and administrators, and a large part of the answer lies in opening up opportunities for some really excellent students to acquire critical job skills, learn firsthand about corporate cultures, develop relationships, and determine if a career in financial services is right for them. That’s why BNY Mellon and its affiliates have been champions of the GTL initiative from its inauguration.”
Formed in 2007, the GTL initiative invests in high-achieving African Americans who are attending historically black colleges and universities and have a strong interest in financial services. It offers them eight-week summer internship opportunities at premier financial services firms across the country. Each participant is assigned a mentor and given the opportunity to engage in leadership development activities sponsored by GTL and the host firms. Participating students must be juniors at the time of application and majoring in accounting, banking, economics or finance. They must demonstrate a strong interest in the financial services industry and have a 3.0 or better grade point average.
Firms that have participated in the program:
A.G. Edwards
Allianz Global Investors
Bank of America
BNY Mellon affiliates
Coates Analytics
Dreyfus
Lockwood Advisors
Pershing
Brinker Capital
Charles Schwab & Co.
Curian Capital
Delaware Investments
DTCC
Edward Jones
Goldman Sachs
Grail Partners
ING
IXIS
Legg Mason
LPL Financial
Merrill Lynch
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
New York Life Investments
Old Mutual U.S. Holdings, Inc.
Prudential Investments
About the Money Management Institute (MMI): Since 1997 MMI has been the leading voice for the global financial services organizations that provide advice and professionally-managed solutions to individual and institutional investors. Through industry advocacy, educational initiatives, regulatory affairs, data reporting and professional networking, MMI supports and advances the growth of advisory solutions. MMI members’ advice-driven investment solutions serve an evolving worldwide financial landscape and their organizations are committed to the highest standards of fiduciary responsibility and ethical conduct. For more information, visit www.moneyinstitute.com.
About UNCF: UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, strengthens its 38 member colleges and universities, and serves as a leading national advocate of education and college readiness. UNCF awards more than 10,000 scholarships each year, the largest of which, the UNCF Gates Millennium Scholars Program, has a 90% college graduation rate. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 21 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 900 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized motto, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”® Learn more at www.UNCF.org
