A message from the founder, Michel Brutti:
In my career as a portfolio manager, my goal was to maximize risk-adjusted returns for all my clients. Up until 2010, I invested in companies that focused on growing their profitability and generating solid returns. In 2010, I received an essential wakeup call. Our team had invested in BP, which was responsible for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The disaster killed 11 people, caused significant damage to the ocean, coastlines, beaches and sea life. Ultimately, the company had to pay billions of dollars in cleanup and compensation costs to make up for the damage that had been done by this incident. I felt much remorse for investing in a company that neglected the safety of its workers and the environment at the expense of profitability. Soon after, I decided that it was imperative for me to improve my investing practices and carefully choose companies that considered the Environmental, Social and Governance perspectives when conducting their operations. I decided to become a more responsible investor.
That was over a decade ago. Today, the world is facing many urgent challenges such as climate change, inequalities, and the loss of biodiversity at an accelerated pace. It has become increasingly clear that companies which consider taking care of their environment and their other stakeholders, have a better opportunity to thrive in the longer term. Through Impact Investing, investors can support companies that provide solutions for a more sustainable and equitable world, as well as participate in more enduring growth going forward. Today, I am investing with the lens of an impact investor because I believe it is the optimal approach. I still use my experience and expertise in maximizing risk-adjusted returns in the portfolios we manage, but this time it is in conjunction with furthering the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
