Going Long

Charles Emond, President and Chief Executive Officer of Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), joins the podcast to discuss the organization's unique "double mandate" - providing financial returns for depositors and providing constructive capital to Quebec's economy. Charles also provides insight into CDPQ's proven track record of climate-conscious investing, including a 60%​ reduction in portfolio’s carbon intensity by 2030 and a new $10B​ transition envelope to decarbonize major carbon-emitting sectors.

Former Dow chairman and CEO Andrew Liveris shares insights on leading companies in an era of disruption and geopolitical uncertainty. He discusses instilling a solutions mindset in the next generation to drive change in business, society, and government, and how activists and short-term "renters" of stock can impact long-term strategic thinking. Topics include: How a multicultural upbringing in Darwin, Australia shaped Andrew's open, inclusive leadership style and view of diversity as an asset The challenges leaders face today with constant disruption, tribalism, and short-term mindsets Why the "American Global Corporation" model is breaking down and the need for businesses to step up in the leadership breach What it takes to build an "enlightened board" that incorporates diverse viewpoints and contextual decision-making Liveris's new book, Leading Through Disruption, is now available in US bookstores.

Sarah Williamson and David Neal discuss the history and evolution of IFM Investors, the importance of stakeholder engagement for infrastructure investments, adopting a "profit-to-member" philosophy, and more. Overview of the Australian superannuation pension system and how it is structured to give individual choice (5:46) How the "profit to member" concept drives investment decisions at Australian pension funds (9:32) The origin story and investment philosophy behind IFM Investors (11:45) Why an "open-ended" fund structure allows for a longer investment time horizon (18:00) The importance of considering all stakeholders, including local communities, when making infrastructure investments (16:01) How institutional investors can promote solutions for major issues like climate change (24:33) Advice for designing pension systems globally that focus on member outcomes (31:41)

For long-term investors, staying ahead of the curve is imperative. Jon Gray, President and Chief Operating Officer of Blackstone Group, joins the podcast to explore how Blackstone is navigating macro market shifts, the advantages of scale, and using data management capabilities to identify patterns and make better investment decisions.

Jonathan Hausman, Executive Managing Director for Global Investment Strategy at Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan joins the show to explore OTPP's focus on long-term strategies and perspectives. Topics include: Understanding OTPP's Unique Investment Model: At OTPP, the key to success lies in a distinctive model for managing pension assets, which prioritizes independence, autonomy, and internal capabilities, enabling OTPP to efficiently manage assets on behalf of their clients. Navigating Geopolitical Challenges: Changing dynamics necessitate a strategic shift in investment focus, with OTPP favoring a targeted approach. Understanding and adapting to these complex relationships is crucial in the pursuit of long-term success. Adapting to a Changing Investing Era: As the investing landscape evolves, so too must institutional investors like OTPP. Hausman emphasizes the importance of embracing new approaches, particularly in the era of artificial intelligence. Addressing Climate Change and Social Impact: Hausman explains OTPP's approach to addressing climate change, aiming to reduce the carbon intensity of their portfolio by engaging with the companies they own and using proxy voting and partnerships to promote value creation while lowering emissions.

When sustainability and innovation are prioritized together, something transformational happens. Delivering social and environmental value creates new opportunities for generating long-term financial value. Lucy Parker, Strategic Advisor at the Brunswick Group, and co-author of “The Activist Leader: A New Mindset for Doing Business” joins the Going Long podcast to discuss how today’s leaders are stepping in to clean up broken systems, build sustainable businesses, and find their role in a new era of activist leadership. Parker and host Sarah WIlliamson discuss examples and anecdotes from “The Activist Leader,” exploring how integrating ESG goals into the core strategy of a business shifts the focus from a trade-off mentality to an investment mentality.  

Seventy percent of respondents of Nuveen’s annual Responsible Investing survey indicated that seeing the specific societal or environmental benefits of their investments is a critical motivator to participating in responsible investing. Amy O’Brien, Global Head of Responsible Investing for Nuveen, joins the Going Long podcast to discuss her team’s approach to meeting that demand, including the evolution of the phrase “ESG”, the guiding principles behind Nuveen’s proxy voting on environmental issues, the details behind the organization’s 2050 net-zero commitment, and more.

Rachelle Sampson is an Associate Professor at the University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business and the inaugural winner of the Panmure House Prize, an award for research into long-term investing and its relationship with innovation. Sampson joins the podcast to discuss her award-winning research, which analyzed the relationship between a firm’s investment time horizons and innovation, finding that long-term-oriented firms are more likely to produce breakthrough inventions. Listen to learn more about the project's background and a deeper dive on some of the innovations explored in the research.

University endowments are meant to create long-term value by definition. In the case of the MIT Investment Management Company (MITIMCo), that long-term value supports not only world-class education but also cutting-edge research and innovation. Seth Alexander, President of MITIMCo, joins the podcast to discuss some of the strategic decisions his team faces, including: Staying resilient by investing across a wide array of asset classes, including real estate, venture capital, energy firms, private equity and more Building both macro trends and current events into their portfolio, and their relationship with external managers Working with MIT’s administration and alumni network, and MITIMCo’s board Measuring success across a 10+ year time horizon, and what MITIMCo will be investing in 50 years from now

What role do consultants and advisors play in fostering sustainable and inclusive business growth? Bob Sternfels, McKinsey and Company’s Global Managing Partner, joins the podcast to share insights on how the firm aims to deliver “holistic impact” to its clients, improving financial performance and positively impacting other stakeholders in the process. Other topics include: · The new sustainable paradigm for global businesses – and how high the stakes are to get it right. · The latest on McKinsey’s climate change efforts. · What developments CEOs are watching in 2022 – COVID-related or otherwise. · Key business trends McKinsey is keeping an eye on for the coming year and over the next decade.

With a history dating back to 1737, van Lanschot Kempen is one of the oldest independent banks in the world, giving Kempen Capital Management a uniquely long-term vantage point. CEO Erik van Houwelingen joins the podcast to discuss how Kempen has made sustainability core to its long-term investment strategy – topics include: The creation and purpose of Kempen’s Sustainability Centre The impact of Kempen's approach to engagement and active ownership The new trends in sustainability that will come to define the investment industry over the next decade

What makes a long-term CEO? Clarke Murphy, Chief Executive Officer of Russell Reynolds Associates, joins the podcast to discuss the attributes that make executive leaders effective at driving long-term outcomes. Topics include: What factors are contributing to the steady decline in CEO tenure. How frequent turnover at the executive level affects companies’ ability to implement long-term plans - and what it means for investors. How successful companies are building diverse and well-rounded boards of directors.

Current projections show the New Zealand Super Fund peaking in size in the year 2070, making it among the foremost long-term investors today. How does this impact decision-making within the firm? Matt Whineray, CEO of New Zealand Super Fund, joins the podcast to discuss the practical implications of the Fund’s long-term investment horizon – topics include: The Fund’s origin and how its timeframe allows it to target uniquely long-term themes. The story behind the Fund’s historic standard-setting in 2017 for integrating climate trends into investment decision-making. How the Fund’s approach to engagement culminated in its participation in the “Christchurch Call,” a collaborative effort to engage the world’s largest social media companies to strengthen controls around objectionable content.

Anticipating new trends is a cornerstone of a long-term approach to investing. Christian Sinding, head of EQT Partners, joins the podcast to provide insight on how “future-proofing” plays a key role in EQT’s strategy for working with portfolio companies. Christian also discusses why he believes private equity is better positioned to make societal impacts, and the launch of a new private capital strategy, EQT Future, and more.

Long-term trends often go underappreciated by investors. Mary Pryshlak joins the podcast to discuss the latest edition of Wellington's Future Themes, an annual project that explores the structural trends shaping our world - like climate change, emerging markets development, automation, and many others - with the goal of identifying new and underappreciated investment opportunities.

Robert F. Smith, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Vista Equity Partners , joins the podcast to share how the firm’s focus on Environmental, Social, and Governance and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion shapes its investment strategy and the success of its portfolio. Robert and host Sarah Williamson discuss Vista’s approach to value creation for its companies, how digital inclusion propels the global economy forward, the importance of STEM education, and long-term profitability.

In focusing largely on wealth preservation, are fund managers stifling growth and innovation? James Anderson, a longtime partner at Baillie Gifford, joins the podcast to talk about why, for long-term investors, solving problems and making money for clients are one and the same – we also discuss the frequently changing landscape of ESG reporting, and what trends will come to define the investment industry over the next decade.

What role can the capital markets play in addressing climate change and putting the world on a path to long-term sustainability? Henry Fernandez, Chairman & CEO of MSCI, shares his views on the power of data in driving action on climate risk, the role of companies in meeting net zero targets, the recent impact of shareholder activism on business models, the launch of MSCI’s Net Zero Tracker, and more.

The recent growth of CEO pay is causing shareholders and policymakers to question companies’ compensation plans, especially against the backdrop of the pandemic. Bob Pozen, Senior Lecturer at MIT Sloan School of Management, joins the podcast to discuss the new trends and common pitfalls of executive pay plans, including the current state of regulation and “Say on Pay,” the prevalence of peer benchmarking, links to stock performance and adjusted earnings, and more.

The intersection of value and values is the existential issue at the core of business today. How to maximize return and impact, to “do well and do good”. Mark Carney, former Governor of the Bank of England and current Vice Chair of Brookfield Asset Management, joins the podcast to explore the financial industry's transition to a more socially conscious and sustainable future. Carney discusses the current state of ESG investing and reporting, the impact of shareholder activism, long-term prospects for cryptocurrency, goals for COP26, and more. Carney’s book, Value(s): Building a Better World for All, is available now.