Sonen Capital, one of North America’s foremost impact investment management firms, was awarded Best Firm in the Responsible Investing/ESG/Impact Investing category at the 4th Family Wealth Report Awards 2017.
This year, in addition to Sonen, the diverse field of other nominees in the category range from a firm with 2,000 employees and $454 billion in assets under management, to a $4 billion firm that operates a niche impact investing program. Given the strength of the competition, there was a case to be made for each of the nominees, but awards in finance are more often judged on the true merits of the available options rather than just size and stature.
Sonen’s founders, Raul Pomares and Stuart Davidson, accepted the award on stage at the gala awards ceremony at the Mandarin Oriental in New York. It was the second year in a row the firm has received the award, which is the only award at the event with a lens on responsible investing. The judges commented, “Our winner is a firm that provides a series of thought leadership commentaries in this field as well as its own suite of liquid and illiquid funds,” indicating that Sonen had the breadth of the traditional competition, and the specialized depth to make it stand out.
“We are delighted with this award”, said Stuart Davidson, “It is exciting to be a part of a firm that represents a catalytic tipping point in the industry, where successful investments can generate more than merely financial returns, but also provide meaningful, positive impact on communities and the environment.”
With impact investing moving towards mainstream and investors like the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and Bill Gates diving head first into impact, the award category is likely to receive even greater competition next year. However, as Raul Pomares stated, “We are working towards a future where the concept of companies and investors taking people and planet into consideration is no longer a novel and principled approach. It’s arriving sooner than we think, and in the future impact investing will be just, investing.”
