SAN MATEO, Calif., Feb. 11, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Franklin Templeton is pleased to announce that it has been selected for the 2019 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI), which distinguishes companies committed to transparency in gender reporting and advancing women's equality. This is the third consecutive year that Franklin Templeton has been selected for the index.

Jenny Johnson, President and Chief Operating Officer at Franklin Templeton, commented: “We are delighted that Franklin Templeton’s commitment to advancing diversity has been recognized again by the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index. Across our firm, we embrace individual differences and the wealth of perspectives brought by global diversity. We know our diversity helps us deliver excellent investment results and client service. We foster a culture of inclusion because we value the talent and ideas provided by individual experiences.”

Bloomberg's standardized reporting framework offers public companies the opportunity to disclose information on how they promote gender equality across four separate areas—company statistics, policies, community engagement, and products and services. Reporting companies that score above a globally-established threshold, based on the extent of disclosures and the achievement of best-in-class statistics and policies, are included in the GEI.

Sherry Dondo, VP of Talent Development and Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) at Franklin Templeton, said: “Our firm has embraced numerous measures to ensure and enhance diversity and equality. In 2017, our CEO Greg Johnson signed the CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion pledge , joining a group that now numbers more than 550 US business leaders working toward elevating the discussions about D&I and creating a more inclusive workplace. Last year, we launched an initiative with the Ellevate Network to advance the professional development of our female employees. In addition, we have several employee-led Business Resource Groups that work to enhance the understanding of diversity in the workplace and enrich our culture of mutual respect.”

The Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index includes 230 companies from 10 sectors, headquartered across 36 countries and regions. Collectively, these firms have a combined market capitalization of $9 trillion and globally employ more than 15 million people, of which seven million are women. Thirteen markets are represented for the first time this year, including Argentina, China, Israel and South Africa.

The framework is voluntary and has no associated costs. The GEI is a reference index. All public companies can submit data to Bloomberg. Those with a security listed on a U.S. exchange and a market capitalization of USD1 billion or greater are eligible for index inclusion.

About Franklin Templeton

Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE:BEN] is a global investment management organization operating as Franklin Templeton. Franklin Templeton’s goal is to deliver better outcomes by providing global and domestic investment management to retail, institutional and sovereign wealth clients in over 170 countries. Through specialized teams, the Company has expertise across all asset classes, including equity, fixed income, alternatives and custom multi-asset solutions. The Company’s more than 600 investment professionals are supported by its integrated, worldwide team of risk management professionals and global trading desk network. With employees in over 30 countries, the California-based company has more than 70 years of investment experience and over $649 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2018. For more information, please visit franklintempleton.com .  

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Franklin Templeton Corporate Communications: Stacey Coleman, (650) 525-7458, stacey.coleman@franklintempleton.com