Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, in both personal and professional environments we have all achieved incredible things over the last year. We would have previously believed it inconceivable to conduct full investment and operational due diligence without a physical on-site meeting, or for our clients to allocate new capital without having met the portfolio manager. However, driven by the needs of clients and the opportunities presented by market volatility we evolved our research processes to adapt without compromising on depth. That ability to adapt has been an important contributor to the exceptional performance outcomes our clients saw through this period.
“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible”
St. Francis of Assisi
Achieving our goals of identifying and creating interesting and innovative investment opportunities was challenging in a world of virtual interactions. In this environment we have benefitted from the strong will, and commitment, by asset managers to collaborate and adapt to the engagement model. Thank you, we really appreciate the partnership and ongoing ideas exchange.
During 2020 we reached a tipping point in attitudes and behaviours towards sustainability and inclusion & diversity. Momentum is moving toward a three-dimensional framework for investors, supplementing risk and return with impact. Impact can be broadly defined in terms of the influence of investments on all stakeholders (clients, shareholders, colleagues, society and planet), with asset owners looking for greater measurement and attribution of that impact. This shift aligns with the process enhancements and focus of our manager research team over recent times in sustainability and inclusion and diversity, and is increasingly reflected in manager selection activity.
As is typical, this 2021 Managers Ideas Exchange covers the following:
We have also reflected on our approach to manager research and its evolution over the last 20 years.
| Title | File Type | File Size |
|---|---|---|
| MIX – Manager Ideas Exchange 2021 | 1.7 MB | |
| 20 years of evolution in manager research | .6 MB |
