Demesha Hill joined the CESR Advisory Board in 2024, but she has been supporting our work for years as a popular guest speaker in the Certificate in ESG Strategy executive program and even helping to design the program eight years ago while serving on the board of B:CIVIC. Demesha is the President of the Janus Henderson Foundation and the Head of Diversity & Community Relations for Janus Henderson Investors.
We recently sat down with Demesha to talk about her work as a DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) leader, what excites her about working with CESR, staying motivated while tackling challenging societal issues, and advice for creating an inclusive work environment.
CESR: You鈥檝e been an important supporter of CESR for many years and in many ways, from helping to create and speaking in the Certificate in ESG Strategy program, to now serving on CESR鈥檚 board and supporting the Net Impact Case Competition through Janus Henderson. What made you want to get so involved?
Demesha Hill: The reason why I鈥檝e been so connected is that I see the impact CESR is making, the way they are integrating ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) learning into the marketplace. Connecting with students in the Certificate in ESG Strategy program is very inspiring. Every business needs to be thinking about ESG and how it will impact their overall bottom line. It鈥檚 important for individuals to see different people talking about ESG. We want to help individuals understand how we think about ESG from a financial services perspective at Janus Henderson. It鈥檚 important to understand how all these skillsets can find their way to ESG, and how they are making an impact.
The other piece I think is important is to go deeper with partners, rather than spreading myself really thin. That鈥檚 why we鈥檙e coming in as guest speakers, supporting the Net Impact Case Competition, and getting involved with the Sustainability Bootcamp.
"I鈥檓 most excited about making the connection with the next generation of ESG professionals and learning from them. How they鈥檙e thinking, how they鈥檙e looking at the issues of today, how they are using their lived experiences to solve problems."
- says Demesha Hill
CESR: What are you most excited about that鈥檚 coming in your work with CESR?
DH: I鈥檓 most excited about making the connection with the next generation of ESG professionals and learning from them. How they鈥檙e thinking, how they鈥檙e looking at the issues of today, how they are using their lived experiences to solve problems. I鈥檓 excited about the overall mission to get more and more businesses involved in the work we鈥檙e doing.
CESR: Tell us a little bit about your roles as the Head of Diversity and Community Relations for Janus Henderson Investors, and as President of the Janus Henderson Foundation.
DH: I work in the responsibility function, rather than HR where DEI sometimes sits. The responsibility team is focused in on our overall CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) identity, how we are integrating ESG into our portfolios, what we are doing in terms of the 鈥淏righter Future鈥� suite of products that we can offer to clients. As a financial services institution, we鈥檙e really looking at the question of how do you have a purpose but also have wealth and marry those two together?
My work is unique in that it helps the organization quantify the S in ESG. Everyone can understand quantifying carbon, water, and other environmental impacts, but what we鈥檙e doing at the foundation, our community outreach, and DEI lets us quantify what we鈥檙e doing from a social standpoint. One example is how we think about the impact around creating job opportunities. With our approach, we鈥檙e not just taking fruit from the tree by recruiting diverse talent, but we鈥檙e also planting those community seeds through outreach. Through our foundation we do a lot of work around education, because that鈥檚 a piece that lets us develop the next generation of talent. From a community relations standpoint it鈥檚 getting close to the issues, and letting our employees see and understand what is happening in society.
"It really starts with you. It鈥檚 not the responsibility of a DEI or HR person or the CEO, it鈥檚 every person鈥檚 responsibility. You have the privilege and power as an individual contributor to make an impact in this work."
- says Demesha Hill
CESR: What are some big trends you see in the financial services industry that relate to sustainability and social impact?
DH: One of the biggest trends I see is around reporting, making sure there is standardization in how we are reporting this information. There鈥檚 still a misconception that if you are sustainable or have social impact, your profits or financial returns are going to dwindle. We want to show that you can achieve both if you have the right philosophy.
Finance majors need to understand materiality and how the material issues for a company impact that company鈥檚 bottom line. For example, if we are in a water crisis and your organization needs lots of water to produce their products, everyone working on the organization鈥檚 finances needs to understand how that crisis will impact your cost structure, and how new technology might impact some of the resources we rely on as well. Investments in sustainability can save money in the long run. Creating this framework at the foundation of your company can set you up to be more successful in the future.
CESR: What advice do you have for students and leaders who want to contribute to an inclusive work environment?
DH: It really starts with you. It鈥檚 not the responsibility of a DEI or HR person or the CEO, it鈥檚 every person鈥檚 responsibility. You have the privilege and power as an individual contributor to make an impact in this work. Create an environment that lets you retain that talent from diverse communities. Be accessible to make people feel welcome and feel that they belong. Don鈥檛 make assumptions.
"Speak up. If you see someone from an underrepresented group having their voice marginalized in a meeting, then intervene and stop that from happening at the time."
- says Demesha Hill
CESR: What are some specific practices that people can try at any level of an organization to create a sense of belonging?
DH: Honor the one-on-one meetings that you have and set them up if you don鈥檛 have them already. Make those meetings about work, but also about personal life. Take an interest in your team members鈥� individual development and their career development. Help with overall career pathing as well. The other piece is to show up. Do you show up when diverse communities put on events and activities? Do you bring other people along? How do you walk the talk, show up, and be that ally and advocate?
Speak up. If you see someone from an underrepresented group having their voice marginalized in a meeting, then intervene and stop that from happening at the time. You can use your power to say, 鈥淚 think Sally had something that she wanted to say,鈥� and create a platform for that person who is being silenced. Speak up if you see something happening that鈥檚 creating a barrier for someone to succeed or thrive.
If your organization does employee volunteering, that time outside the office can break down barriers, start to create connections between people, and do something for the community. Volunteering enables you to let your guard down, gives you down time, lets people problem solve together, and creates a sense of being a team.
"It鈥檚 very challenging, but very rewarding work. The rewarding part comes when you see those small acts of inclusion鈥攕mall ways of being considerate of individuals from different groups."
- says Demesha Hill
CESR: In your work, you tackle big, challenging problems that have been around for a long time. Progress is happening, but it鈥檚 slow and nonlinear. What gives you hope for the future and keeps you motivated in your work?
DH: It鈥檚 very challenging, but very rewarding work. The rewarding part comes when you see those small acts of inclusion鈥攕mall ways of being considerate of individuals from different groups. When we went into lockdown due to COVID-19, we had a marketing person come to us who noticed that some skin tones would not show up when using the company鈥檚 standard Zoom background. They took the initiative to create different images to make sure that people of all skin tones showed up and didn鈥檛 fade into the background on Zoom. Those examples keep me motivated.
I do feel like everyone wants immediate gratification when it comes to DEI work. It took a long time to get into the situation that we are in, so it鈥檚 important for us to realize that it will take a long time to make change. We need to keep moving forward and changing mindsets. It鈥檚 not just the mindsets in your organization, but the narrative about you from outside of your organization as well. Making that kind of change takes time and exposure, which is why volunteering in the community is so important.
Cherish the small wins, and give pep talks along the way if you鈥檙e not seeing results. You have to be consistent with this work. You must ask important questions about what鈥檚 coming. Who will be your future employees? How are you making sure they have the skillsets your company will need? This affects your ability to be innovative in the future. You need to really understand the link between the E, S, and G. When we consider where the environmental crises and issues are happening, we see that it鈥檚 in marginalized communities, so there鈥檚 a DEI lens when people are talking about the E in ESG as well.
The Certificate in ESG Strategy executive program is currently enrolling for Fall 2024. This online program brings in guest speakers like Demesha who work in corporate sustainability and social responsibility for major organizations.
is a professional organization that鈥檚 part of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and connects business and community leaders who are passionate about building strong communities and running smart, successful organizations. B:CIVIC leaders co-created the Certificate in ESG Strategy program, and employees of B:CIVIC investors get a $250 discount on registration.