INCLUSIVE GROWTH 5 Commitment and Leadership Empowering Workers We believe that engaged employees will be a driving force in building a more inclusive 昀椀nancial future. Sterling Employee Ownership Ayco Financial Wellness Goldman Sachs is partnering with background check Goldman Sachs’ Ayco Personal Financial Management’s 昀椀rm Sterling as it shares the bene昀椀ts of company Wellness Platform is an industry-pioneering digital platform success to drive 昀椀nancial inclusion and build a stronger designed to enable a more productive, 昀椀nancially well, and partnership across the employee base. Goldman Sachs engaged workforce. In partnering with Ayco, organizations Asset Management has been a controlling shareholder in can provide their employees with key resourcing, including Sterling for nearly seven years, working with the company’s 昀椀nancial coaching, helpful reports and viewpoints, and tailor- management team to build Sterling into one of the largest made programs for every career stage. providers of pre-employment background screening and ® identity services globally. Goldman Sachs acted as lead • SurvivorSupport ® bookrunning manager for the company’s IPO o昀昀ering in Ayco’s SurvivorSupport provides specialized 昀椀nancial September 2021, where Sterling granted stock awards to guidance in times of personal crisis and loss, supporting each of its 5,513 employees globally. individuals and families through challenging 昀椀nancial decisions. It o昀昀ers services to more than 130 corporate The companywide stock grant represents a continuing clients, covering more than 3.2 million employees in the commitment by the company and Goldman Sachs Asset US. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, we Management as a controlling shareholder to expand extended our services to hospital systems on a fee- access to wealth and ensure every Sterling employee has waived basis. compensation that grows alongside the company. For most employees granted the IPO stock award, it was their 昀椀rst • Diversity and Inclusion opportunity to share in company equity. Ayco is partnering with our corporate clients’ global diversity and inclusion networks and HR teams to Goldman Sachs Asset Management Joins Ownership provide diverse communities with group education Works Consortium sessions. In e昀昀orts to further our shared ownership program, Goldman Sachs joined a newly-formed coalition led by Ownership Works, a nonpro昀椀t focused on partnering with companies Ayco also works with corporate teams to advance their diversity and and investors to provide employees with the opportunity inclusion initiatives. We partnered with IBM to support its P-TECH to build wealth at work. As a founding partner, Goldman hiring programs. P-TECH is a public-education model that provides Sachs is committing to implement new models of employee high school students from underserved backgrounds with the academic, technical, and professional skills and credentials they need ownership within at least three controlled portfolio for competitive STEM jobs. companies by 2023. SurvivorSupport® is a registered trademark of the Ayco Company, L.P. and is provided exclusively by the Ayco Company, L.P. Sustainability Report 2021 Inclusive Growth | De昀椀ning and Executing on Our Strategy 72