Goldman, Lehman Get Diversity Award

Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers were awarded the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association's Diversity Leadership Award for programs seeking to reinforce the role of women in financial services.

Goldman was recognized for its "ascend" program, a series of events targeting key women clients who hold senior positions in their organizations. The initiative, which allows Goldman to facilitate relationship-building among women at client or prospective client firms, has hosted some 750 women at conferences around the world. Rather than focusing primarily on women's issues, ascend aims to provide content and expertise in global affairs, politics and the financial markets.

Lehman's "Encore" program aids professionals - usually women - who have left the workforce for an extended period as they seek to re-enter the work world. It provides career seminars, career counseling, introductions to hiring managers and resources that monitor job requisitions and make appropriate matches with program participants.

The awards were announced at SIFMA's annual conference in Boca Raton. Fla.