Radiant media
Over the course of our careers, we have shared our perspectives on a variety of topics spanning quantitative investing, data analysis, active management, and industry trends. Most recently, as a CEO and a Head of Sustainable Investing for a pioneering quantitative asset manager, our insights have focused on the intersection between ESG principles and investment ideas, and the importance of diversity and developing a sustainable culture.
As colleagues for almost two decades and long-standing members of the asset management community, we have become passionate advocates for these important developments and their influence on investment strategies and the industry as a whole. We believe it is our collective responsibility to promote sustainable practices in the companies in which we collectively invest and to direct investments toward purposeful outcomes.
Some examples of media coverage of our views on ESG and diversity from 2017 to present are also provided below.
ESG insights
“Every industry will be impacted by climate change in some way. This is why it’s more critical than ever that investors think through its impacts and understand where future demand for products will reside.”
CNBC.com – ‘Investing in the Age of Accelerating Climate Change’
“…WE SEE CLIMATE CHANGE—AND ITS ANCILLARY IMPACT ON PRODUCTION, ON HUMAN CAPITAL, ON EVEN BIG THINGS LIKE MIGRATION OR ECONOMIC PARTICIPATION—AS BEING MUCH MORE IMPORTANT GOING FORWARD THAN IT HAS BEEN IN THE PAST.”
Waters Technology – ‘End of Days Data: Climate Content Heats Up’
“OUR ARGUMENT IS ECONOMIC, AND IS AS FOCUSED ON UPSIDE AS DOWNSIDE… SOME ESG METRICS POINT US TOWARD OPPORTUNITIES FOR JOBS AND GDP GROWTH WHILE ALSO HELPING MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE.”
ESG “FITS WELL WITH OUR LONG-TERM PHILOSOPHY, EVEN IN OUR SMART BETA STRATEGIES, WE ARE NOT LOOKING FOR SHORT TERM FACTORS.”
FT.com – ‘ESG investing and smart beta combination grows in popularity’
“WE BELIEVE THAT ESG INFORMATION IS ECONOMIC IN NATURE; IT HELPS ORIENT US TOWARD COMPANIES THAT ARE USING THEIR RESOURCES WELL – HUMAN, PHYSICAL, AND TECHNOLOGICAL – AND AWAY FROM THOSE WHO ARE NOT IN STEP WITH LONG-HORIZON TRENDS.”
“THE COMBINATION OF FACTOR-LED INVESTING AND SDG ALIGNMENT ARE THE KEYS TO BUILDING STRATEGIES THAT CAN WEATHER MARKET STORMS WHILE STILL MAINTAINING POSITIONS IN COMPANIES THAT WILL BENEFIT FROM LONG-RUN MARKET FORCES.”
Institutional Asset Manager – ‘Total Return to Overshadow Index Approach’
“…THE DIVESTMENT-LED APPROACH TARGETING POINT-IN-TIME, ABSOLUTE CARBON INTENSITIES IGNORES THE POTENTIAL WINNERS OF A FUTURE LOW-CARBON ECONOMY. IT TREATS ALL POLLUTERS THE SAME INSTEAD OF SEEKING OUT THOSE THAT ARE EVOLVING.”
Adviser Voice – ‘Investors Need to Look for Carbon Footpath’
“WHY SHOULD INVESTORS PARK THEIR VALUES AT THE DOOR WHEN THEY GO INTO PUBLIC EQUITIES? WE SHOULD HELP THEM EMPLOY THE STRENGTH OF THE BROAD PUBLIC EQUITY MARKET.”
Diversity insights
“[My background] provided me with a good perspective on the importance of diversity, not just male and female but different cultures and people, their lives and viewpoints.”
“We can confidently say that, historically, higher diversity ‘today’ has translated into higher return on equity ‘tomorrow’.”
“I don’t think we should accept companies doing the bare minimum, in other words appointing a threshold number of women onto their boards and in doing so not really addressing the core problem. The problem is an economic one: our research shows groupthink leads to stagnancy and worse economic outcomes…”
“We see the benefits on a daily basis of employing colleagues from different backgrounds. [This] percolates into problem-solving processes which have proved very beneficial for clients.”
Financial Times – ‘Harvard Study Questions Benefits of Fund Manager Diversity’ Jan 2019
“…diversity is not just a “nice to have” but instead a “must have” for firms facing the most intense market competition.”
PI Online – ‘Gender diversity as a driver of sustainable profitability’’
“Look at the culture of the company and the programmes it promotes,” says Ms Ridley. “Is it committed to diversity, does it help parents re-enter the workplace and offer good work-life balance and flexibility?” In her experience, women will respond to welcome gestures of support from employers by working harder. “It’s amazing how these things work in terms of retention.”
FT.com – ‘What stage of a career is the best time to have children?’
“Organisational diversity and the policies and practices that make it manifest are associated with greater employee retention, greater productivity, ability to attract new talent, and improved innovation and problem solving – through a reduction in ‘group think’.”
“Importantly, both are stories of people with immense passion for something, who embrace challenges with determination and commitment and achieve success with authenticity and humility.”
Business Insider – ‘24 books Wall Streeters think everyone should read’