But he said the firm could do better and the new task force would examine all aspects of the state of diversity and inclusion at Fisher.
Fisher, 68, a longtime market commentator and conference speaker, has come under fire for comparing the process of gaining a client’s trust to “trying to get into a girl’s pants” and talking about genitalia at the financial services conference.
Audience members said they were appalled by the remarks. Tiburon Managing Partner Charles “Chip” Roame said in a statement Thursday that he was “extremely disappointed” and barred Fisher from future events.
Fisher initially said he was surprised that people found his remarks offensive. But two days after the conference, facing a barrage of criticism, he issued an apology.
Job Recruitment
“Some of the words and phrases I used during a recent conference to make certain points were clearly wrong and I shouldn’t have made them,” Fisher said in a statement Thursday. “I realize this kind of language has no place in our company or industry. I sincerely apologize.”
Fisher founded his Camas, Washington-based firm in 1979. His investors include more than 175 large institutions and 65,000 high-net-worth individuals, according to the firm’s website.
The firm participated in a job recruitment fair on Thursday at the University of Washington, about 180 miles from its headquarters. Students at the fair expressed consternation after hearing about Fisher’s comments.
“That’s just insane that someone who is so influential feels the entitlement in order to say things like that, especially in the kind of society we’re in today where people are trying to push for women being respected in the workplace,” said Nams Nayak, a senior political science major. “It’s just disappointing.”
Tinsley Hembree, who represented Fisher at the company’s booth, said it’s too soon to see an impact on recruiting. The firm has more than 1,700 employees, according to a May regulatory filing.
“Ken’s comments were taken out of context,” she said. “He is a colorful person and can say some outlandish things, but I personally have never been impacted by any type of harassment or ever felt degraded as a woman working in a finance firm, especially Fisher.”
The Hames CFO said Fisher’s comments were “absolutely unacceptable” and inconsistent with his company’s core values of diversity and respect.
“I’m monitoring the situation and seeing what develops and how he comes back and responds to the situation,” Rule said.
This article provided by Bloomberg News.