Diversity and Inclusion

Letter from Lloyd C. Blankfein, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

At Goldman Sachs, we regard diversity as a business imperative – it is at the very core of our ability to serve our clients well and to maximize return for our shareholders. Diversity supports and strengthens the firm’s culture, and it reinforces our reputation as the employer of choice in our industry and beyond.

To drive this strategic priority for the firm, the Office of Global Leadership and Diversity was established in 2001 with the mandate of determining how we could reinforce more rigor, accountability and global thinking in the firm’s diversity practices. The value diversity brings to Goldman Sachs is clear: Our clients demand it of our teams, our global footprint requires it to succeed in a range of cultures, and our ongoing pursuit for the best talent is dependent upon it.

With the same energy that drives our client-focused activities, we have placed ongoing emphasis on diversity in recruiting, career development and promotion. We have broadened our outreach to attract diverse, top talent from a broader range of institutions in the US, Europe, China and India. We have developed a rich collection of employee networks around the globe, and we are engaged in mentoring, professional development, community service and cultural awareness. We have instituted an annual diversity planning process that engages the most senior leaders of the firm, and we have developed standards for good management and leadership practices that are having a positive impact, particularly for under-represented groups around the world. In addition, we have demonstrated commercial success through the Urban Investment Group and ascend, A Goldman Sachs Leadership Exchange.

While our People Survey shows we have made progress on many fronts, we know there is still much work to be done. We have a long horizon before us, and achieving our goals requires determination and resolve. We are proud of the individual and collective efforts that our people have made, and continue to make, to promote and support diversity at Goldman Sachs.

Lloyd C. Blankfein
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.