What’s next?

[vc_empty_space height=”10px”]
What is required for all investors to use their influence to create a more sustainable economy, and to wake up to the crucial role they play in ensuring a sustainable recovery?[vc_quotes layout=”accordion” quotes=”%5B%7B%22name%22%3A%22Chris%20Ailman%22%2C%22job_role%22%3A%22Chief%20investment%20officer%2C%20CalSTRS%20(United%20States)%22%2C%22content%22%3A%22Christopher%20Ailman%20has%20been%20the%20chief%20investment%20officer%20of%20CalSTRS%20for%20over%2018%20years.%20He%20leads%20an%20investment%20staff%20of%20170%20and%20oversees%20a%20portfolio%20valued%20at%20%24253.6%20billion%20as%20of%20July%2031%2C%202020.%20He%20has%20over%2036%20years%20of%20institutional%20investment%20experience.%5CnHe%20has%20served%20on%20several%20boards%20and%20advisory%20boards%20in%20the%20US%20and%20UK.%20He%20represents%20institutional%20investors%20on%20the%20MSCI%20Index%20Editorial%20Advisory%20Board%2C%20EDHEC%20Risk%20Institute%2C%20PRI%20Asset%20Owners%20Advisory%20Committee%2C%20and%20the%20Toigo%20Foundation.%20He%20is%20the%20co-chair%20of%20the%20North%20American%20300%20Club%20and%20the%20Milken%20Global%20Capital%20Markets%20Committee.%20In%202016%2C%20he%20was%20part%20of%20the%20first%20cohort%20to%20achieve%20a%20Fundamentals%20of%20Sustainable%20Accounting%20(FSA)%20credential.%5CnEach%20year%2C%20he%20is%20recognised%20as%20one%20of%20the%20top%20CIOs%20both%20in%20the%20US%20and%20globally.%20He%20has%20received%20numerous%20awards%20and%20recognitions%3A%20CIO%20of%20the%20Year%20in%202000%2C%20recipient%20of%20the%202003%20Richard%20Stoddard%20Award%20for%20service%20in%20the%20investment%20of%20pubic%20pensions%2C%202006%20he%20received%20the%20Distinguished%20Service%20Award%20for%20Advancement%20of%20Latinos%20in%20Business%20from%20the%20New%20American%20Alliance%2C%202011%20he%20received%20the%20Institutional%20Investor%E2%80%99s%20Large%20Public%20Fund%20Manager%20of%20the%20Year%20Award%20and%20in%202013%20he%20was%20named%20the%20number%20three%20CIO%20in%20the%20world%20and%20Investment%20Innovator%20of%20the%20Year.%20In%20November%202017%2C%20Ailman%20received%20Institutional%20Investor%20magazine%E2%80%99s%20first%20Lifetime%20Achievement%20Award.%20He%20is%20a%20regular%20guest%20on%20the%20TV%20and%20radio%20and%20is%20frequently%20quoted%20in%20in%20major%20financial%20publications.%5CnAilman%20has%20a%20Bachelor%20of%20Arts%20in%20business%20economics%20from%20the%20University%20of%20California%2C%20Santa%20Barbara.%20He%20received%20his%20certified%20financial%20planner%20designation%20from%20the%20University%20of%20Southern%20California.%20He%20is%20married%20with%20three%20daughters%20and%20is%20a%20committed%20Promise%20Keeper.%5Cn%22%2C%22image%22%3A%2233625%22%2C%22linkedin%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fchristopherailman%2F%22%7D%2C%7B%22name%22%3A%22Barbara%20Zvan%22%2C%22job_role%22%3A%22President%20and%20chief%20executive%2C%20University%20Pension%20Plan%20(Canada)%22%2C%22content%22%3A%22Barbara%20Zvan%20is%20a%20seasoned%20senior%20executive%20and%20visionary%20in%20the%20pension%20field.%20As%20a%20trained%20actuary%20and%2025-year%20industry%20veteran%2C%20she%20brings%20expertise%20in%20pension%20administration%20and%20member%20services%2C%20pension%20design%2C%20enterprise%20strategy%20and%20risk%20management%2C%20long-term%20responsible%20investing%2C%20and%20leading%20high-performing%20teams.%5CnAfter%20starting%20out%20as%20an%20assistant%20portfolio%20manager%20at%20the%20Ontario%20Teachers%E2%80%99%20Pension%20Plan%2C%20she%20took%20on%20increasing%20responsibilities%20rose%20to%20become%20its%20chief%20risk%20and%20strategy%20officer%20(CRSO)%20and%20leader%20of%20the%20strategy%20and%20risk%20team.%20As%20CRSO%2C%20Zvan%20supported%20the%20plan%20sponsors%20in%20determining%20plan%20design%20and%20the%20board%20in%20establishing%20a%20robust%20enterprise%20risk%20management%20framework%20anchored%20by%20a%20transparent%20risk%20appetite.%20She%20helped%20design%20a%20total%20fund%20investment%20strategy%20that%20delivered%20both%20leading%20returns%20and%20a%20stable%2C%20secure%20pension%20promise%20to%20members.%20She%20crafted%20the%20fund%E2%80%99s%20responsible%20investing%20and%20climate%20change%20strategy%2C%20leading%20Ontario%20Teachers%E2%80%99%20to%20be%20named%20one%20of%20the%20world%E2%80%99s%20top%20responsible%20asset%20allocators%20by%20Bretton%20Woods%20II.%5CnRecognized%20as%20a%20leading%20voice%20on%20sustainable%20investing%20and%20an%20ambassador%20for%20defined%20benefit%20pensions%2C%20Zvan%20is%20known%20for%20her%20efforts%20to%20bring%20institutional%20strength%20to%20complex%20challenges%20and%20forge%20new%20collaborative%20pathways%20for%20innovation%20and%20growth.%5CnZvan%20was%20appointed%20to%20the%20Government%20of%20Canada%E2%80%99s%20Expert%20Panel%20on%20Sustainable%20Finance%2C%20is%20a%20member%20of%20the%20Advisory%20Committee%20for%20the%20new%20%E2%80%98Investing%20to%20Address%20Climate%20Change%E2%80%99%20Charter%20and%20played%20a%20significant%20role%20in%20creating%20the%20G7%20Investor%20Leadership%20Network.%5CnShe%20serves%20on%20the%20boards%20of%20the%20Global%20Risk%20Institute%20and%20the%20Responsible%20Investment%20Association%20and%20the%20advisory%20board%20of%20the%20Institute%20of%20Sustainable%20Finance%20at%20the%20Smith%20School%20of%20Business.%20She%20was%20chair%20of%20the%20International%20Centre%20of%20Pension%20Management%20and%20the%20Sustainability%20Accounting%20Standards%20Board%E2%80%99s%20Investor%20Advisory%20Group%2C%20and%20served%20of%20the%20boards%20of%20the%20Canadian%20Coalition%20for%20Good%20Governance%2C%20Cadillac%20Fairview%20and%20the%20Chilean%20water%20utilities%20Esval%20(Essbio)%20S.A.%5CnZvan%20is%20a%20Fellow%20of%20the%20Society%20of%20Actuaries%20and%20the%20Canadian%20Institute%20of%20Actuaries%2C%20a%20holder%20of%20the%20Institute%20of%20Corporate%20Directors%20designation%20(ICD.D)%20and%20has%20a%20Master%20of%20Mathematics%20degree%20from%20the%20University%20of%20Waterloo.%20She%20is%20an%20honouree%20of%20Canada’s%202020%20Clean50%20and%20Canada’s%202008%20Top%2040%20Under%2040.%5Cn%22%2C%22image%22%3A%2233626%22%2C%22linkedin%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fbarbarazvan%2F%3ForiginalSubdomain%3Dca%22%7D%5D” title=”Speaker” el_class=””][vc_quotes layout=”accordion” quotes=”%5B%7B%22name%22%3A%22Amanda%20White%22%2C%22job_role%22%3A%22Director%2C%20institutional%20content%2C%20Conexus%20Financial%20(Australia)%22%2C%22content%22%3A%22White%20is%20responsible%20for%20the%20content%20across%20all%20Conexus%20Financial%E2%80%99s%20institutional%20media%20and%20events.%20She%20is%20responsible%20for%20directing%20the%20bi-annual%20Fiduciary%20Investors%20Symposium%20which%20challenges%20global%20investors%20on%20investment%20best%20practice%20and%20aims%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%20retirement%20incomes.%20She%20is%20the%20editor%20of%20conexust1f.flywheelstaging.com%2C%20the%20online%20news%20and%20analysis%20site%20for%20the%20world%E2%80%99s%20largest%20institutional%20investors.%20White%20has%20been%20an%20investment%20journalist%20for%20more%20than%2020%20years%20and%20has%20edited%20industry%20journals%20including%20Investment%20%26%20Technology%2C%20Investor%20Weekly%20and%20MasterFunds%20Quarterly.%20She%20was%20previously%20editorial%20director%20of%20InvestorInfo%20and%20has%20worked%20as%20a%20freelance%20journalist%20for%20the%20Australian%20Financial%20Review%2C%20CFO%2C%20Asset%20and%20Asia%20Asset%20Management.%20She%20has%20a%20Bachelor%20of%20Economics%20from%20Sydney%20University%20and%20a%20Master%20of%20Arts%20in%20Journalism%20from%20the%20University%20of%20Technology%2C%20Sydney.%20She%20was%20previously%20a%20columnist%20for%20the%20Canadian%20publication%2C%20Corporate%20Knights%2C%20which%20is%20distributed%20by%20the%20Globe%20and%20Mail%20and%20The%20Washington%20Post.%20White%20is%20currently%20a%20fellow%20in%20the%20Finance%20Leaders%20Fellowship%20at%20the%20Aspen%20Institute.%20The%20two-year%20program%20consists%20of%2022%20fellows%20and%20seeks%20to%20develop%20the%20next%20generation%20of%20responsible%2C%20community-spirited%20leaders%20in%20the%20global%20finance%20industry.%22%2C%22image%22%3A%2233531%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”]

Key takeaways

Chris
  • Screening China from an environmental and human capital standpoint will be critical in 2021.
  • Investment teams of the future will be younger, more open-minded and highly adaptable. People are a huge asset. How people are managed impacts company value greatly.
  • The future may well involve closer collaboration between asset owners and asset managers. Wall Street is far too expensive.
  • It is hard to be adaptable when reality hits you in the face.
  • The future will be much more challenging than the past.
  • Throughout history massive shocks have forced changes in human behaviour.
  • Sustainability can become part of the mainstream lexicon in the USA if we are not unnecessarily distracted by politics. We need to take the conversation away from politics and focus on risk.
  • We have entire parts of the world that are not fully committed to sustainability, so it is hard to be proud.
  • We need all the world’s bright minds to think ahead.
  • ‘Constant education is key to a better world and a better future.’
Barbara 
  • We should consider what our individual organisation can do and what our organisation can do in partnership with others.

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