Recurring Feature: Responsible Investor Aviators Answer 7 Questions

Please tell us about your institution, and how you began moving toward responsible investment and/or good corporate governance? Federated Hermes has for several decades sought to act responsibly and deliver holistic returns in order to ensure a better place for our beneficiaries when they retire.

How did you get personally become interested in the capital markets, pension fund world and progressive responsible investment and/or corporate governance? Emboldened by the wonderful experience at the 67 acre regeneration scheme at King’s Cross-London over the past ten years I have sought to apply lessons learned into other city centre regeneration schemes which can deliver positive societal and environmental outcomes. What are the most important issues in responsible investment/corporate governance? Long term patient capital and partnership approach with the public sector and engagement with local communities. Could you please provide examples of successful responsible investments or corporate governance campaigns (from both a financial and responsible impact standpoint)? Providing a school for deaf children at King’s Cross, delivering great place making and ensuring community engagement has encouraged talent to locate at this destination in turn attracting major occupiers like St Martins University of Arts, Google’s European hub and Facebook. Have you or your institution established a responsible investment policy? If so, when (year)? Is your organization a signatory to the UN PRI? To any similar standards, benchmarking or reporting bodies? Is this important? All of these apply, however rather than rely upon industry standards alone we seek to lead the industry and each year set new targets, such as the concept currently around the Meaningful City and creating a sense of civic pride and ‘belonging’ for citizens. What are your thoughts on the progress that Organized Labor—as the S in ESG---has made in these fields? What more could we all be doing? I really do believe this area has a long way to go, social inclusion and mobility are major issues. Five years from now, how do you see the public environment and market for these strategies evolving? What should the role of Heartland be? I firmly believe partnerships between private sector and public sector with shared visions on creating sustainable places with social inclusion is key.