“Closing the opportunity divide is a necessity for both a healthy industry and society where all can thrive.”
By David Druley, Chief Executive Officer, Cambridge Associates
Let’s close the opportunity divide. I grew up in North Texas and while my parents were educated, we were not affluent by any means. The local school system was quite unexceptional and as I neared middle school, my parents were frustrated until hope emerged in the form of a local prep school leader.
A Life-Changing Opportunity
This individual was a staunch advocate for creating opportunity for kids from less-privileged backgrounds and having just established new financial aid, they extended an offer to my family. The aid enabled me to receive a quality education that would have otherwise been completely unattainable.
My time at the prep school was a journey of discovery and enlightenment. Most of my peers were from wealthy backgrounds, a lifestyle totally unfamiliar to me. Perhaps not surprisingly, I found kinship with other financial aid recipients. While we each offered diversity to the school in various ways, we were bound by our shared experiences as we navigated this new world together.
This was a pivotal period in my life that set me on a path of possibilities that I really believe I would have been oblivious to otherwise. Most importantly, it equipped me with the skills to interact with individuals from different walks of life, an invaluable asset that I carried into college and my career.
A Commitment to Social Responsibility
This experience early in my life has instilled in me an ongoing sense of social responsibility that I think about often. As a leader at Cambridge Associates, I am committed to bridging the opportunity divide for future generations. While I feel it is imperative for those who can be generous towards others to do so, I approach this work not out of obligation but with energy and joy. I see so much potential in the young people I work with, both at CA and through organizations with whom we partner, as well as in my personal efforts to fund scholarships at my alma mater, the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas, many of which go to first-generation college students. I sometimes see myself in them and believe that given the chance, each of them has much to contribute to the world. The commitment to finding talent wherever it exists is also one of the things that drew me to Cambridge Associates two decades ago. Many of our clients are also actively working towards closing the opportunity divide. And I believe there is a very direct link, whereby delivering performance for our clients empowers them to fulfil that mission and to make a more profound impact on the world.
The Power of Opportunity
Closing the opportunity divide is a necessity for both a healthy industry and society where all can thrive. In levelling the playing field, we unleash the power of opportunity, where regardless of background, talented individuals can have a voice, can contribute, and have a true chance at success.
