Diversity in Fund Finance Award
The Diversity in Fund Finance Award will be selected based on an individual’s outstanding overall contribution to furthering diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in the fund finance industry, the FFA, their workplace, and/or the broader community. Emphasis will be placed upon the pillars of the Diversity in Fund Finance initiative, focused on: educating and connecting with students in order to help open the pipeline of diverse talent into the market; being a facilitator of action to advocate for positive change; striving to create opportunities of advancement for diverse professionals; and fostering an open, inclusive, respectful space for everyone no matter their background.
2022 Recipient
Donald Cooley
Latham & Watkins
Donald epitomizes the pillars of Diversity in Fund Finance of Education, Opportunity, Action, and Affinity. Not only is Donald an outstanding attorney, with clients describing him as a “Trusted Advisor,” he goes above and beyond to help create an equal world with everything he does. Within Latham, Donald has served as a Global Chair of Latham’s First Generation Professionals Affinity Group, focusing on fostering a community of inclusion and a more diverse pipeline of talent. Donald has also served on Latham’s Pro Bono Community which works to help the most vulnerable and advocating for change. Donald has been at the forefront of ESG capital call facilities, incorporating his diversity and social awareness interests into his fund finance practice. Donald is an active Diversity in Fund Finance committee member and was instrumental in helping us create our FFA Supports National Coming Out Day video. Donald is genuinely a terrific example of how diversity adds value to our profession. We cannot think of someone more deserving of this award this year, both for his outstanding work and his dedication to strengthening the diversity and culture within the fund finance community and beyond.
Past Recipients
