Impact and measurement

[vc_empty_space height=”10px”]
Impact investing is the next iteration of sustainability but it faces some challenges including the basic notion of how to measure impact alongside risk and return. This session will hear from investors on their approaches and the applicability and power of impact investing across both public and private assets.[vc_quotes layout=”accordion” quotes=”%5B%7B%22name%22%3A%22Laurent%20Ramsey%22%2C%22job_role%22%3A%22Managing%20partner%20and%20chief%20executive%2C%20Pictet%20Asset%20Management%20(Switzerland)%22%2C%22content%22%3A%22Laurent%20Ramsey%20has%20been%20a%20Managing%20Partner%20of%20the%20Pictet%20Group%5Cnsince%201%20January%202016.%20He%20has%20co-headed%20Pictet%20Asset%20Management%20with%5CnS%C3%A9bastien%20Eisinger%20since%201%20April%202019%2C%20having%20been%20solely%20responsible%5Cnfor%20the%20Group%E2%80%99s%20institutional%20arm%20between%202016%20and%202019.%5CnHe%20joined%20Pictet%20in%201993%20and%20has%20held%20various%20senior%20management%5Cnpositions%20at%20Pictet%20Asset%20Management%20in%20Geneva%2C%20Hong%20Kong%2C%5CnSingapore%20and%20London.%5CnLaurent%20holds%20a%20Master%E2%80%99s%20in%20International%20Management%20from%20HEC%5CnLausanne%20School%20of%20Business%20and%20Economics%20and%20a%20degree%20in%20Business%5CnAdministration.%5CnLaurent%20also%20serves%20as%20Vice-President%20of%20the%20Geneva%20Financial%20Centre%20and%20is%20a%20Board%20member%20of%20the%20Swiss%20Asset%20Managers%20Association.%22%2C%22image%22%3A%2233598%22%2C%22linkedin%22%3A%22%22%7D%2C%7B%22name%22%3A%22Roy%20Swan%22%2C%22job_role%22%3A%22Director%2C%20mission%20investments%2C%20Ford%20Foundation%20(United%20States)%22%2C%22content%22%3A%22Roy%20Swan%20leads%20the%20foundation%E2%80%99s%20mission%20investments%20team%2C%20managing%20Ford%E2%80%99s%20portfolio%20of%20mission-related%20investments%20(MRIs)%20and%20program-related%20investments%20(PRIs)%2C%20and%20working%20to%20expand%20and%20strengthen%20the%20impact%20investing%20field.%5CnBefore%20joining%20Ford%2C%20Swan%20served%20as%20managing%20director%20and%20co-head%20of%20global%20sustainable%20finance%20at%20Morgan%20Stanley.%20%20During%20his%20time%20at%20Morgan%20Stanley%2C%20Global%20Sustainable%20Finance%20committed%20over%20%2413%20billion%20in%20community%20development%20transactions.%20%20Among%20his%20prior%20experiences%2C%20he%20was%20the%20founding%20chief%20investment%20officer%20of%20New%20York%20City%E2%80%99s%20Upper%20Manhattan%20Empowerment%20Zone%20(UMEZ)%2C%20a%20federal%20initiative%20to%20bring%20new%20resources%20to%20distressed%20urban%20communities%20which%20played%20a%20key%20role%20in%20Harlem%E2%80%99s%20economic%20rebirth.%20He%20also%20served%20as%20CFO%20at%20Carver%20Bancorp%2C%20a%20Harlem-based%20publicly%20traded%20financial%20institution%20and%20the%20nation%E2%80%99s%20largest%20African%20American%20managed%20bank.%20%20Over%20the%20course%20of%20his%20career%2C%20Swan%20has%20worked%20in%20corporate%20law%20at%20Skadden%20Arps%2C%20investment%20banking%20at%20The%20First%20Boston%20Corporation%2C%20Salomon%20Brothers%2C%20and%20JPMorgan%2C%20and%20finance%20at%20Time%20Warner.%5CnSwan%20serves%20on%20several%20non-profit%20boards%2C%20including%20the%20Dalton%20School%2C%20Enterprise%20Community%20Partners%2C%20Low%20Income%20Investment%20Fund%2C%20and%20the%20Partnership%20for%20After%20School%20Education.%20He%20also%20serves%20on%20the%20advisory%20boards%20of%20several%20private%20equity%20funds.%20he%20received%20a%20bachelor%E2%80%99s%20degree%20from%20Princeton%20University%20and%20a%20JD%20from%20Stanford%20Law%20School%2C%20where%20he%20was%20an%20editor%20of%20the%20Stanford%20Law%20Review.%22%2C%22image%22%3A%2233599%22%2C%22linkedin%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Froy-swan-7394832%2F%22%7D%5D” title=”Speaker” el_class=””][vc_quotes layout=”accordion” quotes=”%5B%7B%22name%22%3A%22Colin%20Tate%22%2C%22job_role%22%3A%22Chief%20executive%2C%20Conexus%20Financial%20(Australia)%22%2C%22content%22%3A%22Tate%20has%20been%20an%20investment%20industry%20media%20publisher%20and%20conference%20producer%20since%201996.%20In%20his%20media%20career%2C%20Tate%20has%20launched%20and%20overseen%20dozens%20of%20print%20and%5Cnelectronic%20publications.%20He%20is%20the%20chief%20executive%20and%20major%20shareholder%20of%20Conexus%20Financial%2C%20which%20was%20formed%20in%202005%2C%20and%20is%20headquartered%20in%20Sydney%2C%20Australia.%5CnThe%20company%20stages%20more%20than%2020%20conferences%20and%20events%20each%20year%20%E2%80%93%5Cnin%20cities%20which%20have%20included%20London%2C%20New%20York%2C%20San%20Francisco%2C%20Los%20Angeles%2C%20Amsterdam%2C%20Beijing%2C%20Sydney%20and%20Melbourne%20%E2%80%93%20and%20publishes%20three%20media%20brands%2C%5Cnincluding%20the%20global%20website%20and%20strategy%20newsletter%20for%20global%5Cninstitutional%20investors%20conexust1f.flywheelstaging.com.%20One%20of%20the%20company%E2%80%99s%20signature%20events%20is%20the%20bi-annual%20Fiduciary%20Investors%20Symposium.%20Conexus%20Financial%E2%80%99s%5Cnevents%20aim%20to%20place%20the%20responsibilities%20of%20investors%20in%20wider%20societal%2C%20and%20political%20contexts%2C%20as%20well%20as%20promote%20the%20long-term%20stability%20of%20markets%20and%20sustainable%5Cnretirement%20incomes.%20Tate%20served%20for%20seven%20years%20on%20the%20board%20of%20Australia%E2%80%99s%20most%20high%20profile%20homeless%20charity%2C%20The%20Wayside%20Chapel%3B%20and%20he%20has%20underwritten%20the%5Cnwelfare%20of%2060%2C000%20people%20in%2028%20villages%20throughout%20Uganda%20via%20The%20Hunger%20Project.%22%2C%22image%22%3A%2233547%22%2C%22linkedin%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Famanda-white-101a7515%2F%3ForiginalSubdomain%3Dau%22%7D%5D” title=”Moderator” el_class=””][vc_empty_space height=”10px”]

Related reading

Beyond green bonds Planetary Boundaries: measuring the business world’s environmental footprint[vc_empty_space height=”10px”]

Key takeaways

Laurent
  • Clients want to have a purpose when allocating their money.
  • Going forward sustainability preferences will become a key component of financial advice at the very outset when clients are setting their upfront investment objectives.
  • Active engagement with investee companies will help drive positive change both financially and environmentally. When you engage you have a much better sense of impact measurability.
  • We talk a lot about climate change but sustainability goes far beyond that. Biodiversity should not be neglected.
  • There is no downside in incorporating non-financial factors into investment decision-making.
  • Sustainability and long-termism are part of Pictet’s DNA – The average tenure of partners at Pictet is around 20 years and these partners act as custodians of the business for future leaders.
Roy
  • History has shown that not everyone is able to consistently achieve alpha. Areas such as affordable housing provide a positive financial and social opportunity.
  • The Ford Foundation is based on two simple thoughts – 1) Better is good and 2) Don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good. In other words, impact measurement can be simple and high-level. Complex impact measurement should not get in the way of tackling major issues that are looming large.
  • The Ford Foundation aims to put capital into the hands of those who have been historically disadvantaged.
[vc_empty_space height=”10px”]

Poll results

Are you invested in impact ?
[vc_line_chart x_values=”” values=”%5B%7B%22title%22%3A%22Yes%22%2C%22y_values%22%3A%2256%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22blue%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%22No%20but%20plan%20to%20be%20in%20next%206%20months%22%2C%22y_values%22%3A%223%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22pink%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%22No%20but%20plan%20to%20be%20in%20next%2012%20months%22%2C%22y_values%22%3A%229%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22chino%22%2C%22custom_color%22%3A%22%23555555%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%22No%20but%20plan%20to%20be%20in%20next%203%20years%22%2C%22y_values%22%3A%2232%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22violet%22%2C%22custom_color%22%3A%22%23f4524d%22%7D%5D”]

Sponsored Content

Leave a Comment

China ESG risk: the next unknown

China ESG risk: the next unknown

One of the most important, upcoming challenges at CalSTRS is how the fund should evaluate Chinese investments from a human capital and environmental standpoint, says Chris Ailman, chief investment officer at the giant pension fund.

Sort content by

Investors continue to align with SDGs

Five years on since the SDGs were launched, an increasing number of investors are putting capital to work to earn returns alongside helping solve global scourges like the climate crisis, poverty and inequality. Sarah Rundell looks at New York Common Fund and Denmark's PKA among others.

Beyond green bonds

The European Union's rescue plan will give a huge boost to an already thriving market for green bonds and other instruments that promote sustainability. But investors need to be wary: green comes in many shades.

Overcoming deepening inequality: CalPERS

How can investors work together to combat inequality? In this podcast episode Amanda White speaks to the president of CalPERS, Henry Jones, about his own experience and the fund's journey in tackling diversity and inclusion, in particular issues of racism.

New investment-led net zero framework

More than 70 investors have collaborated to produce a framework for an investment strategy led approach to decarbonising portfolios and maximising efforts to achieve net zero emissions globally by 2050. The IIGCC, which developed the framework, is seeking consultation.

The EU Commission’s renewed sustainable

Deciphering the jargon of white collar gamblers.

No equality without everyone

This piece is part of Disability Demands Justice, a dynamic, ever-evolving hub by the Ford Foundation to deepen our understanding of how disability intersects with social justice.

Previous