PG Perspectives

Meet our D&I Leadership Team

Kelly-Marie Henry, Senior Compliance Officer
 

 

You are a Senior Compliance Officer based in our New York office. What are your key responsibilities?

I like to compare the role of a Compliance Officer to that of a firefighter: we constantly monitor the evolving global regulatory framework and stand ready to respond and 'put out fires' if needed. In my position, I wear two hats. I am the Supervising Principal for Partners Group USA. This means I supervise members of our US Client Solutions team in their marketing activities, ensuring we are compliant with all applicable marketing laws and regulations. I am also Chief Compliance Officer for Canada and supervise all marketing activities in the region. 

You joined Partners Group in 2013. How has your role progressed over that time?

I first joined Partners Group as a junior member of the Compliance team in London, working on global compliance tasks in close collaboration with colleagues in Switzerland and Luxembourg. After a couple of years, I did a stint in the Guernsey office for a few months and then moved to the New York office. It has been a dream come true to have the opportunity to travel and move to different countries. And I have really enjoyed being a part of the firm's growth – when I joined there were around 700 employees and today there are more than 1,500 of us spread across 20 offices globally.

You are a D&I leader at Partners Group. What does inclusion mean to you?

There is a popular saying that "diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance". But I like to look at D&I from a slightly different angle. I think it's more about belonging. It's about feeling you are part of a community and a valuable member of that community when you turn up with your full self, which includes your gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, etc. That is the goal.
 

"In private markets, there are opportunities for graduates of all backgrounds, and you can build a career tailored to your interests."

As part of your D&I leadership, you lead Partners Group's Black Network. What are the priorities for the group?

Through the Black Network, we want to help build a sense of community and affinity for Black identifying professionals at Partners Group. We are aiming to grow the representation of Black professionals at the firm to better reflect the societies in which we operate by focusing on recruitment, retention and advancement. We also want to ensure that there is an ongoing dialogue at Partners Group on the important topics of racial equality and diversity to create lasting impact in these areas.

What advice would you give to graduates considering a career in private markets?

It is important to do something that you are passionate about. In private markets, there are opportunities for graduates of all backgrounds, and you can build a career tailored to your interests. It does not matter if you have studied law, engineering, medicine, or any other discipline; there really is no traditional career trajectory in private markets and anyone can find their niche here.