My unexpected connection to Ukraine

As a father of four children and two grandsons, I awoke to the horror of the events occurring in Ukraine. Today, this got more personal as I learned my family emigrated via Kyiv. Many may not know exactly where their family emigrated through and it may not be via Kyiv, but what is happening in Ukraine should be personal to all of us. In many ways, the freedoms we have today, that we likely took for granted some 72 hours ago, are hanging in the balance of what happens. This isn't a war in some faraway place that won't impact us. We should all see ourselves in the people of Ukraine. This is a war of our collective present and future that we want for our children and grandchildren.

The question for all of us is what can we do to help?

First and foremost, we can use our voice. My grandparents and my parents taught me that one of the major atrocities of the holocaust was silence. Silence as millions of Jews were slaughtered by the Nazis. I won't be silent on this issue. If you don't think this couldn't happen again, well it can. What is happening today is completely unacceptable and must stop immediately. Russia's assault and specifically Vladimir Putin's attack on the people of Ukraine who are fighting not just for their very lives but the freedoms and lives of all of us. What we should all advocate for is a quick peaceful resolution, the sovereignty of Ukraine's democratic government, and the protection of its people. So please speak up. Ensure those on the front lines hear you. Post on your social media. Make your voice heard.

Take the simple step of creating your own personal sanctions. Over the past almost four decades, I was honored and blessed to transform how data is used to create a more just, sustainable, healthy, and conscientious world at Microsoft and IBM. I recently retired from my day job at Microsoft and sit on several for-profit and non-profit boards. I have called upon the companies I work with and invest my retirement savings in, to immediately divest any investments flowing to Russia directly or indirectly. What I learned was not surprising. There were actions that could be done immediately and there were some that would take time as retirement funds utilize mutual funds and ETFs that invest directly in Russian companies would need to be unwound. Emerging Market ETFs contain both Russian and non-Russian companies and today there isn't an Emerging Market ETF x-Russia that exists. I instructed my financial advisor at Merrill Lynch to immediately divest all of these direct and indirect investments. This simple step can be done by any of you. Call your financial advisor and ask them to divest immediately from Russian investments. Call on Vanguard, Fidelity Investments, and any company that offers these mutual funds and ETFs to immediately divest of these assets. Every dollar you pull out of Russia can make a difference.

Give. Of course, giving is a personal choice and there are many causes that are in need. Well before my wife and I wrote a check to help, I received a text from my 15-year-old daughter, saying "Dad, you will notice a charge on my debit card saying I donated money to help those in Ukraine." I could not be prouder of my daughter to step up and set an example for all of us. My wife and I will follow in my daughter's footsteps and give. I encourage you to consider donating to help those on the frontlines in Ukraine and the millions of refugees. I invest in my family, my children's future, and my grandchildren's future. In today's times, I couldn't think of a better way to do that than here.