MSF Program hosts panel about responsible investing
The Master of Science in Finance program hosted an important panel on April 27. The discussion was titled “Sustainable, Responsible, Impact (SRI) Investing … the Materiality of Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) Issues in the Investment Decision Making Process.”
The panel was moderated by Emily Chasan, who is the Sustainable Finance Editor for Bloomberg. Joining her for the discussion were:
- Karina Funk, CFA, Portfolio Manager/Head of Sustainable Investing, Brown Advisory
- Stephen Freedman, PhD, CFA, who is the Head of Sustainable Investing Solutions, UBS Wealth Management Americas.
- Tracy Maynier, CIMA, CPWA, Director, Blackrock
The discussion, which was organized by Adjunct Professor Bruce Foerster, helped students see practical examples of what they’ve learned in the classroom about sustainability.
“Over the past several weeks, my classmates and I prepared essays on ESG investing, so we had some understanding of the discussion topics going in,” MSF student James Goyer said.
“The panel, however, really took this understanding to a new level. Getting to hear from professionals who apply ESG principles to their jobs on a daily basis really opened my eyes on how this movement is changing corporate America.”
Students were also able to hear how major shifts in companies continue to occur due to various ESG mandates.
“Whether it be Citigroup’s position on gun control or Larry Fink’s letter to CEOs, corporations are placing a much greater emphasis on being socially responsible,” Goyer said. “Getting to hear how real world investors incorporate ESG factors into their investment decisions changed my perspective on how I define competitive advantage.”
