Think Tank #EmpowerYourLife: together for diversity, inclusion and sustainability

An initiative born from Global Thinking Foundation’s experience and shared with a group of women who represent the nine major foreign financial institutions, together to support the importance of Financial Education, Diversity, Gender, Social and Economic Inclusion.

The Think Tank “Empower Your Life” is a project that involves initiatives aimed to highlight the importance of fundamental issues regarding the economic and social sustainability of countries.

It is the first time that a no profit foundation, specialized in financial education, sustainability and diversity, manages to gather nine of the most important asset management companies – Allianz GI, Fidelity International, Invesco, JP Morgan AM, Lazard Fund Managers, Nordea AM, Pictet AM, Schroders, Standard Life Aberdeen, State Street – that are very sensitive to these topics.

“Empower Your Life”, the name of this Think Tank, perfectly summarizes the inner meaning of this initiative: financial literacy and awareness, in fact, are the main steps for the evolution of our society. They are essential in order to reach the complete social and gender inclusion, to protect and enhance diversity and to understand the value of sustainability in a financial and economic-oriented culture.

The manifest

the development of economic and financial skills is essential and indiscriminately crucial, as much as any other knowledge

everyone can support gender equality by taking responsible actions in their own working environment

diversity includes active policies in the labor market, connected to social and ethical responsibility, integration and mutual respect

“glass ceilings” damage the creation of prolific processes of competition and productivity, since they prevent wage equality and the chance for women to reach top-management positions

the digital revolution represents an opportunity to embrace change and innovation in a proactive way; the “technological unemployment” can be fought with education

the current labor market challenges people to maximise their own potential and to channel their energies towards a professional growth

the economic growth of a country gets across the full awareness of social and economic inclusion dynamics

success can’t be achieved with improvisation, but with shared and strong expertise, in order to reach any aspired goal

the development of economic and financial skills is essential and indiscriminately crucial, as much as any other knowledge

everyone can support gender equality by taking responsible actions in their own working environment

diversity includes active policies in the labor market, connected to social and ethical responsibility, integration and mutual respect

“glass ceilings” damage the creation of prolific processes of competition and productivity, since they prevent wage equality and the chance for women to reach top-management positions

the digital revolution represents an opportunity to embrace change and innovation in a proactive way; the “technological unemployment” can be fought with education

the current labor market challenges people to maximise their own potential and to channel their energies towards a professional growth

the economic growth of a country gets across the full awareness of social and economic inclusion dynamics

success can’t be achieved with improvisation, but with shared and strong expertise, in order to reach any aspired goal

Who we are

Barbara Balucani

Head of Marketing, Schroders Italy

I have been involved in marketing and finance for over 20 years and one of my favourite words in work and in life is opportunity. I believe that everyone deserves one and I believe that knowledge is the way to obtain it. I am happy to provide my professional and personal contribution to this group, that aims at giving people an opportunity through the spreading of knowledge.

Stefano Dallafina

Head of Marketing, Inclusion-Diversity & Equity Ambassador, State Street International Bank GmbH Italia

Curios, continuously seeking for what is new and unique, ambitious, I love basketball and support AC Milan. A 30 year long career in finance, I have been interested, since the early 2000’s, in talking about and, most importantly, doing inclusion&diversity.

Carla Maienza

Client Servicing and Sales Support Manager – Pictet AM Italia

Of Sicilian-Argentine descent (I love cassata, but I don’t dance tango), I have been working in the international financial sector since 2001 and in 2015 I decided to become a Sommelier to develop my passion for wine. Thanks to my shareholding in Tibevo.it I can further express my creativity and PR skills. I love listening to very different musical genres and admire the beauty that people and nature give us. I believe it is essential to spread knowledge and strengthen relationships between us to remove prejudice and discrimination.

Laura Nateri

Managing Director, Head of Italy Lazard Fund Managers

Daughter of a magical island, Sardinia, which I left early to nurture my university studies. I always carry with me the warmth of the sun, the vital energy of the sea and the strength of the wind that allowed me to reach several professional and personal achievements. Diversity, inclusion vision and sustainability are part of my DNA and have a common denominator: the awareness that change can and must be made.

Rita Schirinzi

Head of Marketing Italy and Iberia, Invesco

Trust, transparency and experience. These words are the ones that guide me every day, both at work and in private life. As Head of Marketing Italy and Iberia Invesco I express my creativity, work effectively with the team’s colleagues around the world and, at the same time, pursue a long-term goal: the spreading of financial education.

Claudia Segre

Presidente, Global Thinking Foundation

Piedmontese doc, in love with music and dance, became passionate during her studies of international dynamics and geopolitics, which will become – together with Financial Education – her pledge. The birth of her Foundation three years ago in fact is based on these principles and expresses its commitment in the sphere of diversity. For Claudia every human being is unique and, as such, bearer of rights and responsibilities that guarantee his own and others’ freedom. For this reason, she dedicates herself to projects and initiatives aimed at making Diversity an opportunity for economic growth and for developing countries.

Fabio Caiani

Managing Director, Head of South East Europe Nordea, Conleys

From Milan, lover of nature in which I love to take refuge as soon as possible, a “theoretical” rather than a practical sport… In short, quoting a song from some time ago, “I’m full of contradictions, what’s the harm”.

On the other hand, there is no doubt about the need to foster the development of a sustainable world and the passion I have for the financial world. This powerful combination, I believe, will revolutionize the planet and lead to the overcoming of temporal logics.

Today we are fully aware of what needs to be done. The ability to communicate and influence as never before: the good fortune of being able to work in a company that is historically attentive and sensitive to ESG issues and being able to interact every day with so many people, colleagues or customers, in Italy or Europe, it gives me the energy and enthusiasm to face the challenges of change for almost 30 years.