Michelle Seitz has a long history of advocating for responsible investing and diversity and inclusion. Before joining Russell Investments in Seattle as CEO in 2017, Seitz spent 22 years in senior roles at Chicago-based William Blair, where she pushed for diversity and support for women in finance.
"All of us are responsible for driving more diversity in financial service," Seitz said. "Building a diverse pipeline is critical, but it's equally important to mentor and develop talented women to create a more diverse leadership team and C-suite."
At Russell, Seitz is also using her powerful platform to focus on sustainability initiatives. In April 2021, Seitz expanded Russell Investment's ESG efforts by joining the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative and pledging to achieve net-zero carbon emissions across all the firm's assets under management — currently at around $300 billion — by 2050.
Seitz has executed a growth strategy amid the pandemic and market volatility, overseeing over $127 billion in cumulative gross sales and a 7% increase in operating margins since she joined the firm. In 2021, Seitz formed a partnership with private markets specialist Hamilton Lane. Russell has also launched several private markets funds with the Italian bank Mediobanca, raising over $545 million.
Internally, Seitz launched a Global Sustainable Work Practices Council to ensure that Russell Investments' day-to-day procedures focus on sustainability as well as the firm's specific goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions for global business operations by 2030.
The firm's commitment to ESG practices has paid off: In 2021, Capita Pension & Life Assurance Scheme in the U.K. hired Russell Investments to manage a $1.9 billion mandate, largely based on Russell's ESG expertise.
"This is one of the largest and most significant pension schemes in the U.K., serving over 50,000 current and former electricity and gas transmission workers, who literally keep the lights on for much of the U.K.," Seitz said. "It is a distinct honor and a privilege to help provide for these hard-working women and men's financial security."
An active member of the Seattle community, Seitz spearheaded the city's involvement in Partnership for Zero, a public-private partnership that works to reduce local homelessness. She is also a founding member and donor to All In Seattle, a $30 million fund that funnels money to nonprofits serving people in need of assistance after the COVID-19 pandemic.
