CFA UK

Host John Teahan, CFA caught up with Philipp Ruf Head of Research & Analytics at SparkChange. Philipp is an expert in carbon and energy markets and shares how he got into energy markets. He talks about how SparkChange, a specialist provider of carbon data and insight, is empowering financial institutions to drive change. They are working to capitalise on the opportunities — and manage the risks — arising from the transition to a low-carbon economy. Philipp goes back to basics and explains the difference between voluntary carbon markets, and compliance or regulated carbon markets. The conversation then goes on to focus on carbon permits, the licence to pollute and how reporting is helping to combat climate change.

Alan Livsey, CFA caught up with Maura Cunningham, CEO and founder of Rock the Street Wall Street who are helping girls view math-focused fields of study as compatible with a career that has a positive impact on the world. Their discussion centres around who is affected by financial literacy gaps, and how the finance and investment industry is positioned to the wider world – with a focus on gender equality. Maura shares the details of Rock the Street Wall Street, and the impact it has post-high school – their programme alumni are five times more likely to pursue a degree in maths, economics, related business field than the average American female university student.

Host Arun Kelshiker CFA catches up with Miren-Edurne De Frutos, in an honest conversation about her disclosure of her neurodiversity to her employer and her experience of being neurodiverse in the investment industry. Miren looks back at her childhood diagnosis of a rare form of epilepsy and then in adulthood, her diagnosis of ADHD and dyslexia. Initially, Miren sought further qualifications with additional adjustments, but ultimately disclosed her diagnosis with her management team, who responded positively. Miren shares her passion about using the seat at the table she has at her firm to create infrastructure for earlier diagnosis and better support and awareness throughout the investment industry.

In celebration of International Women’s Day Juliet Bullick, Head of Strategic Initiatives at Fidelity International caught up with Baroness Helena Morrissey, DBE to talk about how unlocking and supporting female talent in the industry will enhance their careers and improve gender parity in the industry. The discussion revolves around the perplexing statistic that only one in ten portfolio managers are women, and how initiatives such as the Diversity Project Pathway Programme and the Young Women in Investment Program are moving the dial on recruitment and retention of women in investment.

Henrietta Grimston is an Associate Director of Financial Planning at Evelyn Partners. During CFA UK’s ‘In Conversation Podcast’, Grimston talked to Maha Khan Phillips about what the future of retirement is going to look like, and why planning early is critical for individual retirement outcomes.

Sue Asprey-Price sits on the Work Dynamics Global Executive Board and leads the Work Dynamics business for JLL in EMEA. During CFA UK’s ‘In Conversation Podcast’, Asprey-Price talked to Maha Khan Phillips about how the workplace is evolving, and examined some of the key considerations for businesses, as well as employees.

Sarah Clawson is Head of Global Investor Relations at New Forests, the global investment manager of nature based real assets and natural capital strategies. In CFA UK’s ‘In Conversation Podcast’, Clawson talked to Maha Khan Phillips about how forestry has evolved as an asset class, and key considerations for investment.

In this episode of the In Conversation podcast series Monica Dong, Regulatory Lead at Citi and a member of CFA UK’s Ethics Committee sits down with Rhodri Preece, CFA to discuss the ethical considerations regarding the use of AI in investment Management. They explore how AI is being used across the industry, as well as the opportunities and challenges around AI.

In part two of our latest Climate Change podcast episode, Tom Gosling, Executive Fellow, London Business School and John Teahan, CFA continue the conversation by discussing Tom’s two blogs on the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) and the clash that developed over commitments made under that umbrella body. Tom explains that the overarching commitments made by GFANZ to limit global warming to 1.5C, which scientists claim is almost impossible. This creates limitations for asset managers who must now quickly energise the transition at the portfolio level to support climate solutions and policy. He discusses whether 1.5C is an optimal target for investors, whether portfolio decarbonisation has a tangible real-world impact, and the implications of these targets on future market trends. Does this mean that asset managers are being forced to hit unreasonable targets? And are we inhibiting government action by doing so? Explore the conversation by listening today.

In part one of our latest Climate Change podcast episode, Tom Gosling, Executive Fellow, London Business School and John Teahan, CFA discuss Tom’s work assessing evidence underpinning sustainability research. They consider non-financial issues, within the context of our fiduciary duty, as stewards of our client’s capital. Tom has researched and written extensively on subjects such as pay, corporate governance, sustainable investing, stakeholder capitalism, and climate. His curiosity in these issues grew from a personal commitment to reduce his own carbon footprint by 50% by 2025. In this podcast, Tom explores how the corporate governance system and the interaction between investors and companies either support or inhibit the wider societal changes we need to make. Discover whether there is pressure to only focus on the positives of ESG, and consider examples of impact from companies like Sainsbury’s. Listen to Tom’s story and his findings to learn more about these issues.