Investment Professionals: How Socially Useful Are You?
Helena Morrissey, CEO of Newton Investment Management and founder of the 30% Club, an initiative aimed at achieving 30% female representation on UK corporate boards by 2015, challenged the audience at Sixth Annual CFA Institute European Investment Conference in London to step up and make their voices heard in areas where many professionals may be considered to have either not paid close attention before — or simply felt it was not their place to comment.
In a discussion that complemented the Future of Finance initiative at CFA Institute, a long-term global effort to shape a trustworthy, forward-thinking financial industry that better serves society, Morrissey addressed the question of “How socially useful are investment professionals?” Her initial diagnosis is that the investment profession plays a crucial role in society; by their very nature, practitioners have a direct impact on people’s retirement security and their quality of life. Although the vast majority of investment professionals strive to serve their clients to the best of their abilities, there remains much room for improvement not only in the way that business is conducted, but also in the way that the profession engages with society as a whole — and seeks to educate individuals about what they actually do.
Yeah sure! Whatever Helen 🙂