Franklin Templeton Hosts CEO Action’s “Check Your Blind Spots” Tour Addressing Unconscious Bias

San Mateo, CA, November 19, 2019 – Franklin Templeton hosted the CEO Action “Check Your Blind Spots” mobile tour at the firm’s headquarters in San Mateo, California. The CEO Action bus enabled Franklin Templeton employees, and others in the community, to explore the nuances of unconscious bias.

The tour includes a series of immersive and interactive elements including virtual reality, gaming technology and more, to take an introspective look at the unconscious biases people face on a daily basis. The goal is to create a meaningful conversation around how to be more inclusive in the workplace and community.

Some of the interactive activities include:

• Look Through a Different Lens: Via gamification and a digital viewfinder, participants can watch an interaction between coworkers setting up a work-related event and then identify moments when unconscious biases were demonstrated.

• Face Yourself, Face Reality: In front of a mirror, participants watch as their reflection fades away to reveal a different person staring back at them. Through this touchscreen experience, each new reflection shares a series of biases they've experienced.

• I Act On Pledge: Franklin Templeton employees can join thousands of people nationwide in committing to checking their blind spots and changing behaviors through the I Act On pledge.

“Our diverse global workforce is our biggest asset, and an inclusive environment fosters a wide range of viewpoints that are so essential to solving complex business issues,” said Greg Johnson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Franklin Templeton. “We are a proud signatory of the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion and are deeply committed to promoting an environment where employees can be themselves and reach their maximum potential.”

The tour is making 100 stops across the country through 2019. For more information, visit https://www.ceoaction.com/events/mobile-tour/.

About CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™
CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ is the largest CEO-driven business commitment to advance diversity and inclusion within the workplace. Bringing together more than 800 CEOs and presidents of America's leading businesses, academic institutions and nonprofits representing 12 million employees, the commitment outlines actions that participating organizations pledge to take to cultivate a workplace where diverse perspectives and experiences are welcomed and respected, employees feel comfortable and encouraged to discuss diversity and inclusion, and where best known—and unsuccessful—actions can be shared across organizations. Learn more at CEOAction.com and connect with CEO Action on Facebook: CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion and Twitter: @CEOAction.

About Franklin Templeton
The funds’ principal underwriter is Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE:BEN] is a global investment management organization operating as Franklin Templeton. Franklin Templeton’s goal is to deliver better outcomes by providing global and domestic investment management to retail, institutional and sovereign wealth clients in over 170 countries. Through specialized teams, the company has expertise across all asset classes—including equity, fixed income, alternative and custom solutions. The company’s more than 600 investment professionals are supported by its integrated, worldwide team of risk management professionals and global trading desk network. With offices in more than 30 countries, the California-based company has more than 70 years of investment experience and over $693.1 billion in assets under management as of October 31, 2019. For more information, please visit franklintempleton.com. Connect with Franklin Templeton on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.