My Message to Employees on the U.S. Election

Here's the text of an audio message I sent yesterday evening to our employees around the world, as we await the final results of the election:

As the US election continues to unfold, I wanted to take a moment to share some perspectives with all of you. I know that many of our people are anxious for the election results, and that everyone in the country – and frankly, everyone around the world – is craving clarity.

That being said, and as hard as it is, we knew that because of the pandemic, this election – just like the months leading up to it – would be different than anything we have witnessed before, and that we would have to allow the time required for the democratic process to unfold. The volume of detailed information pouring in from multiple sources around us is understandably all consuming, but, I ask each of you to try, as best as you can, to take a step back and reflect on the significance of this moment more broadly.

As I said in my message to you in late Spring when we were witnessing deeply disturbing acts of hatred and racism in the US and other parts of the world – these are moments to “look up,” to really take account of what is happening around us. That includes the highest voting turnout in the United States since 1900 – an important milestone for any democracy, and one that is reversing trends we’ve witnessed in some elections on declining civic engagement.

People are propelled to action – they want their voices heard on issues that matter to them. I truly believe that a key message from people in this US election, no matter what the outcome, is the desire to be heard. How we seek to understand and react to that desire, both as a country and as individuals, truly matters. We must listen and learn from each other– no matter what side of the aisle. We could throw our hands up and accept a deeply divided country, or we can harness the energy of this moment in time towards finding the necessary common ground so we can all move forward together.

For now, we await the outcome of the US elections. In addition, uncertainty remains in the trajectory of the pandemic, and in turn, the outlook for the global economy. Our people, our clients and our communities will continue to face challenges on the road ahead.

But despite all this, I am optimistic about our ability to support each other and meet this moment. I believe in all of us and what we can do together. In the meantime, please take care of yourselves, and your families.