This summary is less a trailer than a highlight reel. The year started with a new administration in the US and an explosion of the culture wars and backlash against DEI and ESG labelling. Even engagement has become more cumbersome and some may feel the hard won policies of years ago are going into reverse. Because we had lined up a list of industry experts with a focus on sustainable investing for this series, we had an excellent opportunity to ask them about the headwinds and the view of them.

The views were surprisingly nuanced and positive, from the insights of a sustainable equity manager about the impact that was still happening, to the views of two founders of a nature based solutions manager about the decline of net zero alliances and how the shift of focus from carbon might be a good thing.

The guests of Series 1 are Chelsea Smith of Bernstein Private Wealth, Anastasia Guha of Redington, Denise Le Gal of Brightworth, Abdiel Santiago of the Panama Sovereign Wealth Fund, Bjorn Thelander (formerly of the Dyson Family Office), Stephanie Niven of Ninety One, Rob Gardner and Eoin Murray of Rebalance Earth and Steve Neel of New Mexico Educational Retirement Board and Stephen Oxley of OXC.

This series of the Fiftyfaces Podcast is proudly brought to you by bfinance—a trusted partner to the world’s leading institutional investors. With a proven track record in strategy, implementation, and oversight, bfinance delivers bespoke investment consultancy that empowers asset owners to achieve their unique objectives. Whether it’s refining portfolio strategy, selecting fund managers, monitoring performance or getting better value for money, bfinance combines global expertise with tailored solutions to unlock value for their clients. To learn more about how they’ve supported over 500 clients in 45 countries, managing assets totalling over $9 trillion, visit bfinance.com.

Episode 1: Series 1 of 2025 - Trailer