Research Newsletter: Fall 2023
Dear friends,
This fall marks a significant milestone for us. Eight years after running our first Next Gen training, we are launching our first Impact Report! Realized with the support of external impact assessment specialists, this report represents both a culmination of our work up until this point and the next step in our ongoing process of better understanding our effect in the world. As such, we look forward to your comments and continuing to learn together.
On that note, we’re also happy to welcome Dr. Anne Henow to our team as Senior Manager of Research and Insights. Having completed her PhD at the University of Cambridge, and been the Associate Director of Research at a London-based company specializing on ultra-high-net-wealth families, Anne’s role is an integral part of CSP’s mission to bridge science and practice. In her role, she will work to connect our international network of researchers with our community of wealth holders and practitioners, filling knowledge gaps and making key insights accessible.
We are excited to have just kicked-off the 2023–2024 iteration of our Impact Investing for the Next Generation (IING) program! We can’t wait to meet all 27 motivated participants in Boston between October 3rd and 6th for the first module of their seven-month learning journey.
We’re also looking forward to connecting with anyone interested in Sustainable Finance at our one-day Masterclass in October, in addition to running our popular Sustainable Investing in Wealth Management program for finance professionals later that month.
Let the learning continue!
Towards Impact,
Announcing our first Impact Report!
Assembled with the support of impact measurement experts The Canopy Lab and Sagana, this report digs into our impact across several core areas: research, training, engagement, and organization. In addition, we include some insights into our next steps for amplifying our efforts in the midterm. As we continue to build our impact measurement capacity, we really look forward to your feedback, so let us know what you think!
Collaborator News: Bridging Science to Practice
A new threat to board diversity, and what investors can do
New research from CSP Collaborator Emilio Marti and his colleagues has found that, while they offer many valuable benefits, companies with demographically diverse boards are more likely to be targeted by activist hedge funds looking to take advantage of their lengthier deliberative processes. The co-authors share their recommendations for socially-conscious investors and policymakers in this article on our Medium publication.
Making the transition: From purpose-driven entrepreneur to
impact-driven investor
More and more purpose-driven founders are looking for ways to do good after going through a successful liquidity event. What’s there for them on the other side? In this article for Illuminem, Erin Duddy portrays the journey of four impact-driven entrepreneurs finding their way.
Warm feelings or exponential impact: What really drives impact investors?
Investors care about impact in the same way they care about pandas, CSP Collaborator Julian Kölbel and his co-authors suggest. They want to feel good about their decisions, but they may be “surprisingly indifferent to the magnitude of their impact.” The authors reflect on the findings from their paper ‘Do Investors Care About Impact’ in this article for the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance.
Get a taste of what sustainable investment is all about
How does sustainable finance work? Which signals should one look for to avoid greenwashing? People often ask us such questions, and we are glad to offer this one-day online Masterclass, which is the perfect place to start. Built upon expertise from both academia and practice, this course is open to anyone who wants to better understand sustainable investing, including investors, and financial and sustainability professionals, among others.
CSP Out & About
Speaking engagements: NEXUS and Prestel & Partners
At the NEXUS Annual Summit in New York, CSP Zurich Head of Trainings, Francesca Spoerry, moderated a session focused on the journeys of IING Next Gen alumni toward concrete impact investments which spurred a lively discussion. Also, at an event hosted by Prestel & Partners in London, she was part of a panel at the opening plenary which featured impact investors at three different stages in the process and touched on opportunities like real assets, forestry, and infrastructure, as well as the need for improved impact reporting.
From business leader to impact investor
At the end of last month, we co-hosted a special event with the Women Presidents Organization, a network of top-tier women business leaders, based in the United States. The event brought together members of WPO’s network of C-Suite professionals as well as other leaders seeking to align their investments with their values and better understand their options for having impact not only as business leaders but also as investors.
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