December 06, 2022
The popularity of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investments has been met recently with heightened public scrutiny as investors have begun to question the legitimacy, efficacy, and measurability of ESG. Whereas ESG is often positioned in the market as a strategy for driving better outcomes for people and planet, it is, in reality, a framework for evaluating how environmental, social, and governance factors can impact a company’s financial performance. The interpretation and application of ESG investing has varied across the industry in ways that have left ESG investors without clearly defined criteria around what constitutes an ESG investment or how that investment contributes to social and environmental outcomes.
How, then, should investors seek to invest in alignment with their values? At GEM, we believe that impact investing—when done well—can offer a more intentional and stakeholder-centered solution. Impact investing prioritizes outcomes on people and the planet alongside financial returns, and utilizes a rigorous and consistent measurement framework that provides investors with clarity and confidence around how their investments can deliver meaningful positive impact.
GEM announced the promotion of six senior investors to Managing Director. The promotions reflect the depth and continuity of GEM's investment leadership across buyouts, venture capital, marketable investments, client strategy, and investment sourcing, and reinforce the firm's long-term commitment to leadership development and the pursuit of investment excellence.
As the pipeline of emerging managers continues to grow, Caroline Dallas, a Director in GEM’s Investment Research Group explained to the Wall Street Journal Pro Private Equity why growing investor interest in this cohort could create meaningful tailwinds for the next generation of women-led firms.
Head of Venture Capital, Kate Simpson, joined David Weisburd on the How I Invest podcast to share how GEM evaluates venture managers and builds conviction through disciplined sourcing, rigorous reference work, and thoughtful fund-level underwriting in an increasingly bifurcated market.
Let’s start a conversation about how we can help.
