Wellington Management

In August 2022, Texas placed one or more funds from Wellington Management on its List of Financial Companies that Boycott Energy Companies list. The Comptroller’s office examined publicly available data, including licensed information from Bloomberg, LSEG Workspace, and MSCI, to identify U.S.-based funds that appear to restrict or prohibit investments in energy companies. However, in February 2026, a federal judge in Austin issued a ruling prohibiting enforcement of SB 13, the law that allowed the Texas Comptroller to create and maintain its Financial Companies that Boycott Energy Companies list. The court held that the law infringed upon First and Fourteenth Amendment protections. The plaintiffs argued that SB 13 unlawfully penalized financial firms for engaging in protected speech and investment decisions related to ESG policies, effectively compelling viewpoint-based certifications to do business with the state. The State of Texas, however, contended that SB 13 represented a lawful exercise of its authority to direct state investments and contracting decisions and to protect the state’s energy industry from what it characterized as discriminatory financial practices. In February 2026, the Texas Comptroller’s Office and the Texas Attorney General’s Office appealed the ruling to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. The case remains pending (1)(2)(3)(4)(5). Wellington received a score of 75 on the 2025 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a political stakeholder group. The company recruits employees based on sexual identity issues. The company discriminates against vendors that do not promote divisive sex and gender policies, indicating it prioritizes sexual issues over merit (6)(7). The company integrates ESG into all of its business practices. The company was one of the 53 asset management companies addressed in a letter issued by 21 state attorneys general regarding the legal dangers of ESG investing (8). The company will not invest in portfolios that contain investments in a variety of industries, including tobacco and nuclear energy (9).

Wellington does not discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or beliefs. The Wellington Management Foundation funds “organizations that provide access for all youth in our communities to educational experiences that will enhance their chances for future success.” (1)(2).

Wellington Management‘s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company forces employees to attend multiple, controversial trainings on gender identity, sexual orientation, transgender issues, and divisive racial ideology. The company provides a specific benefits guide with a comprehensive explanation of transgender services funded by the company (1)(2). The company defines diversity as including ” beliefs and value systems” and “philosophical thought processes” (3). The company holds employee DEI training, including generational diversity, gender diversity, unconscious bias and micro-inequities, transgender awareness, and cultural diversity (4). The company does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (5)

Wellington Management supports ESG within its business practices. The company is a founding member of the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative, which commits to net zero activist investing (1)(2). The company was part of the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative prior to NZAM’s suspension in 2025. Its membership indicated a commitment to carbon neutrality with its investments by 2050 (3)(4)(5). Wellington Management’s European and UK entities​ is a signatory of the 2026 relaunch of the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative, which provides resources to asset managers to aid in setting climate goals. Based on the company’s NZAM profile page, it is currently updating its commitments (6)(7)(8). Wellington Management is a member of the Corporate Call to Action, a “corporate activism initiative launched in September 2020 by the Connecticut Office of the Treasurer and the Ford Foundation with the support of nearly 20 of the leading entities in the financial industry. Our purpose is to confront long-standing racial economic disparities in financial services and their impact on the nation’s economy” (9)(10). The company is also a CERES Network Member and participant in Climate Action 100+ (11)(12). The company is a signatory of the Institutional Limited Partners Association’s Diversity in Action Initiative, committing itself to specific actions that advance DEI within the governance and policies of the organization and the private equity industry more broadly (13)(14)(15). The company is a signatory to the CFA Institute’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Code, indicating its support of DEI in its recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and promotions. Furthermore, the company pledges to integrate DEI into its policies, promote DEI in the investment industry, and provide regular reporting on its DEI metrics to the CFA Institute (16)(17)(18). Wellington Management’s former CEO, Brendan Swords, signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge, which includes a commitment to promote DEI through bias education training in the workplace, strategize on DEI programs/initiatives with other signatories, and engage boards of directors when developing and evaluating DEI strategies (19)(20).

Wellington Management‘s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company covers transgender related costs for its employees and their children, including paid short-term leave, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, chest surgeries, genital surgeries, medical visits and lab monitoring, travel and lodging. By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company increases health care costs and risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (1)(2).  Wellington Management donates to The National Urban League, which engages in DEI and pro-abortion advocacy (3). The company is a Brass Sponsor of Out & Equal, an LGBTQ advocacy group (4).

Wellington Management does not operate a PAC or report on its lobbying at this time (1)(2)(3).