Membership Directory - Individual
Ed Francis
Head of Investments - EMEA at Willis Towers Watson
About
Bio: "I lead the EMEA Investments business for Willis Towers Watson, joining the firm in 2001 from PricewaterhouseCoopers. I took on my current role in early 2014. The EMEA Investments business is a team of 550 people across the UK, Continental Europe and South Africa and provides a full range of investment services to institutional investors, including advisory relationships and fiduciary management.
I am white British, went to a co-ed comprehensive school, then on to Hull University where I read Economics and Economic History. I'm married with three children and my wife is a part-time mum and part-time psychoanalysis student.
Within our business, we focus heavily on long-term investing, sustainability and diversity of portfolio managers. These principles of creating long-term, sustainable impact extend beyond how we work with our clients, and form the basis of our culture as well. We believe that any individual should be respected for all aspects of their identity. We focus on building an inclusive culture for all colleagues and not just individual groups, but we also recognise the importance of creating supportive communities.
Willis Towers Watson engages LGBT+ colleagues, and amongst other things throughout the year, colleagues march together during Pride festivals all over the world, and we participate in the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index. But more importantly, we run awareness sessions for LGBT+ allies to learn more about how we can all support our LGBT+ colleagues, how to use respectful language, and ask thoughtful questions.
I personally feel responsible for demonstrating our culture across our EMEA business and I am continually learning more about my colleagues as individuals to create a truly inclusive culture."
I am white British, went to a co-ed comprehensive school, then on to Hull University where I read Economics and Economic History. I'm married with three children and my wife is a part-time mum and part-time psychoanalysis student.
Within our business, we focus heavily on long-term investing, sustainability and diversity of portfolio managers. These principles of creating long-term, sustainable impact extend beyond how we work with our clients, and form the basis of our culture as well. We believe that any individual should be respected for all aspects of their identity. We focus on building an inclusive culture for all colleagues and not just individual groups, but we also recognise the importance of creating supportive communities.
Willis Towers Watson engages LGBT+ colleagues, and amongst other things throughout the year, colleagues march together during Pride festivals all over the world, and we participate in the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index. But more importantly, we run awareness sessions for LGBT+ allies to learn more about how we can all support our LGBT+ colleagues, how to use respectful language, and ask thoughtful questions.
I personally feel responsible for demonstrating our culture across our EMEA business and I am continually learning more about my colleagues as individuals to create a truly inclusive culture."