Time               

5:00pm for 5:30pm start, followed by Ginerosity gin tasting and canapés at 6:30pm

Venue             

Cathedral Room, 34th Floor, The Gherkin, 30 St Mary Axe, London, EC3A 8EP

Speakers        

Simon Howard, CEO, The UK Sustainable Investment & Finance Association                       

Euan Stirling, Global Head of Stewardship and ESG Investment, Aberdeen Standard Investments                        

Elizabeth Corley CBE, Vice Chair of Allianz Global Investors and Chair of the Advisory Group to Government: Social Investment and Retail Participation           

Chris Thewlis, Social Enterprise Entrepreneur, Founding Director, Ginerosity; Director, Beer For Good CIC; Owner, GTS Solutions CIC, the UK’s only private security social enterprise; and Board Member of Social Enterprise Scotland

Content

Increasingly, retail and institutional investors are looking at how their money can have a measurable positive impact on the environment and society while also making a healthy return.  During Good Money Week our media business briefing will look at how fund managers can address the world’s societal and environmental challenges through impact investing and how investors can access these opportunities.

Impact investing is ready to enter the mainstream and is no longer seen as a philanthropic exercise.  According to JP Morgan research, demand for impact investing strategies could reach $1 trillion by 2020. 

Simon, who was Group CIO of Liverpool Victoria and Head of Investment at Friends Provident, will introduce the session with a discussion on the current depth and breadth of sustainable investment and finance in the UK. 

Euan will take an in-depth look at how to capture the positive impact already being made by a select group of publically quoted companies.  While environmental, social and governance analysis has become a necessary tool for investment managers, screening for positive rather than negative impact remains a niche activity.  Euan’s presentation will propose a practical approach for investment managers to adopt within an investment framework in order to bring impact investing into the mainstream.  

Elizabeth will share insight from the Advisory Group to Government on social investment and retail participation.   The Advisory Group was created with the remit to consider how the savings, pensions and investment industries, with the support of government, can engage with individual investors to enable them to support more easily the things they care about through their savings and investment choices.    Elizabeth will discuss the issues that currently make it more difficult for individuals to make saving and investment choices which target positive social outcomes as well as financial returns and emerging ideas from the Group.        

Chris will bring to life the power of business and brands to do good with the story of Ginerosity, the world’s first social enterprise gin.   With this unique gin all profits are poured back into projects that help deserving young adults to build themselves a better future.   As a Board Member of Social Enterprise Scotland Chris has a unique insight on the positive impact companies can have on society. 

The presentations will be followed by a Q&A session chaired by Campbell Fleming, Global Head of Distribution, Aberdeen Standard Investments. 

There will be a gin tasting and wine reception with canapés after the presentations when there will be an opportunity for networking with the presenters and spokespeople from Aberdeen Standard Investments.  Ginerosity - the measure of good character -  is a superb gin, mixing traditional botanicals with some more unusual flavours to give it a gentle modern twist.

Please aim to arrive promptly to allow time to get through security at The Gherkin, where you will need to show ID.  Please note that business dress is required in The Gherkin. Tea and coffee will be available before the presentations.

RSVP:

Please confirm your attendance (or otherwise) no later than Thursday, 4th October, by e-mailing yvonne.soulsby@aberdeenstandard.com 

Places will be allocated on a first come basis.

For further information, please contact:

Yvonne Soulsby, Aberdeen Standard Investments, 0131 245 3610

Aberdeen Standard Investments is a brand of the investment businesses of Aberdeen Asset Management and Standard Life Investments