Why inclusion and diversity are crucial to Ardian's future

WHY INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY ARE CRUCIAL TO ARDIAN’S FUTURE

Making Ardian a more inclusive and diverse company will strengthen our collective intelligence and help to generate better long-term performance.

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As a major private investment company of more than 700 people, demonstrating Ardian’s solidarity with the societies where we operate is one of our most important priorities.

We see great benefits in becoming more inclusive and diverse. By recruiting talented people from a wider range of backgrounds we will develop a better understanding of the complexity of the world in which we operate and ultimately achieve better results.

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“We increasingly think about the strength of our company in terms of inclusion and diversity. These are vital indicators of our capacity to understand the environment in which we operate.”

Jérémie Delecourt, Member of the Executive Committee and Chief Operating Officer

SETTING HIGH STANDARDS

Our key step in 2020 was to agree our first Inclusion and Diversity Charter.

This charter includes company-wide monitoring of gender pay gaps, and formal policies on equal pay and support for parents and carers.

See our Inclusion & Diversity Charter

Amy Hepburn

Chief Executive Officer of Investor Leadership Network

“Inclusion is critical – it’s not just about numbers and checking the boxes. You can be diverse without being inclusive, but you cannot be inclusive without being diverse. We must create a culture in investment where women can see themselves not just succeeding but staying and building a career. I always say to young women, ‘you are your greatest asset and your strongest advocate. Don’t ask for permission to be successful – your talent and drive are your permission.”

Ardian joined the Investor Leadership Network in 2019.

OUR APPROACH TO INCLUSION

Inclusion is the route by which we will become a more diverse company.

Diversity is the concrete and measurable result of achieving a more inclusive environment. Measuring our progress on achieving greater diversity is critical, but sustainable progress depends on Ardian becoming more inclusive, which is necessarily abstract and difficult to measure. To succeed, we must not only collect data but consider how each individual will evolve and progress within Ardian.

40%

During 2020, we signed the France Invest charter, which calls for 40% female representation in our investment teams by 2035.

INITIAL FOCUS ON GENDER BALANCE

Ardian takes an active role in industry groups that are working to shape the diversity agenda of tomorrow for finance companies, including the Investor Leadership Network and Level 20. We have recently become a founding signatory of the Diversity in Action initiative launched by the Institutional Limited Partners Association, the US private equity association. These relationships help us to develop our thinking and keep us abreast of best practices.

ARDIAN WOMEN’S CLUB PROVIDES A STRONG SUPPORT NETWORK

The Ardian Women’s Club was launched in May 2018 in Paris with three aims: to empower, connect and inspire the company’s female employees. The club now has members based in all Ardian offices.
Through the club, Ardian women have developed a mutual support network and a forum for sharing experience and knowledge. The club also aims to promote the private investment industry as a career choice for women.

The Ardian Women’s Club brings together employees from around the world to take part in the Odysséa Association's race to beat breast cancer

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“Inclusion and diversity are absolutely essential if Ardian is going to attract and retain the most talented young people in future.”

Jessica du Vivier, President of the Millennial Executive Committee and HR Training & Development Manager

THE MILLENNIAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE HELPS TO SHAPE ARDIAN’S REMOTE WORKING POLICY

The Millennial Executive Committee, which focuses on areas including talent retention, culture, reputation and social impact, aimed to support the Executive Committee in making Ardian more attractive to potential recruits by retaining the best aspects of remote working and marrying them with the company’s existing culture. All staff now receive an annual allowance of home-working days.

Ardian's Millennial Executive Committee members:

Zachary Levine; Pauline Thomson; Anaïs Robin; David Mcdonough; Alvaro Sanz Carrasqueño; Nadine Zariffa; Matthieu Labouche; Omar Fjer; Apoorva Joshi; Maxime Durieux; Jérôme Jouyet; Jessica du Vivier; Romain Chiudini; Yannic Metzger; (missing) Ada Wen

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In a nutshell

ARDIAN IN 2020

1,000+

investors

$11 Bn

raised in 2020

$8,7 Bn

distributed to our investors in 2020

$5,7 Bn

invested through our Fund of Funds platform across 44 primary commitments and 7 secondary transactions in 2020

$8,8 Bn

invested across our Direct, Infrastructure, Private Debt and Real Estate activities in 92 transactions, of which 50 were build-ups in 2020

+24,500

employees of 34 portfolio companies have benefited from profit-sharing at exit by Ardian since 2008, receiving the equivalent of 1 to 6 months’ salary

THE FOUNDATION STRENGTHENS ITS SUPPORT FOR SOCIAL MOBILITY

Listen to the podcast with
Julien Grenet, Co-head of the new research chair in Education Policy and Social Mobility at Paris School of Economics

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