Our Commitment to Ending Hatred and Violence

March 22, 2021


Following the horrific shooting that took place last week in Atlanta, Georgia, and recognizing that the United States has recently seen a dramatic increase in discrimination against and victimization of members of Asian, Asian-American, and Pacific Islander communities, Conning Holdings Limited* (CHL) believes it is important to state clearly that all acts of racism and xenophobic rhetoric, harassment, and violence are unacceptable, and our firm stands in unity with those impacted directly or indirectly.


Sadly, hate crimes can be found throughout the world reflecting similar themes affecting many groups globally. For example, and equally horrifying, three weeks ago a woman named Sarah Everard was abducted and killed while walking home. This occurred less than six miles from CHL’s London office. This is a stark reminder that violence against women continues to plague our society.


CHL’s Operating Committee today reaffirms our commitment to fostering an organization and community that is accepting of, welcoming to and supportive of all. It is both tragic and shocking to see the patterns in violence that continue to exist globally and to realize how much work we have to do as a society to end hate and discrimination. The entire CHL group, including Conning, Octagon Credit Investors and Global Evolution, has zero tolerance for violence, racism or discrimination against any group and in any form. We deplore all violence against any people because of who they are, and we deplore the perpetrators of this violence for their actions.


Our firm’s values call for a culture that fosters inclusion, and we have an unwavering commitment to fully integrate our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts into the fabric of our institution so that all colleagues can “bring their whole selves to work.” Each of our employees has a responsibility to support colleagues who may be feeling scared and vulnerable, and our company offers employees a number of services to help in this cause. None of these things alone will change the world, but we can all take steps to change the part of the world we live in and make it a better place for our treasured colleagues.

CHL Operating Committee 

 

Woody Bradford

Morten Bugge

Russell Büsst

Andy Gordon

Mike Haylon

Lorraine Hritcko

Bo Kratz

Jung Lee

Rich Sega

Vi Smalley

 

*Including Conning Holdings Limited, Cathay Securities Investment Trust Co., Ltd. (“SITE”) and Global Evolution Fondsmæglerselskab A/S. SITE reports internally into Conning Asia Pacific Limited but is a separate legal entity under Cathay Financial Holding Co., Ltd. which is the ultimate controlling parent of all Conning controlled entities.