How to put purpose in your portfolio with Michael Baldinger

Michael Baldinger, Sustainable Investing with Jacoline Loewen

We were fortunate enough to have Michael Baldinger, expert on Sustainable and Impact Investing, visit Toronto and speak in front of a wide variation of interest groups - ranging from MaRS Capital, the family offices and pension funds wanting to make an impact, ultra-high net worth investors during a private dinner, and finally, The Ticker Club whose members are the leaders of asset management in Canada.

"How to put purpose in your portfolio" was the theme Michael Baldinger tackled at MaRS, The Social Finance Forum, Canada’s leading event for people who believe profits should be paired with purpose.

Every day, billions of dollars are invested with the sole intention of making more dollars, while life-changing social programs and vital environmental initiatives struggle for funding. Impact investing is the fast-growing movement that’s closing that gap by promoting profitable investments in programs and ventures that power progress.

Now in its 11th year, the Social Finance Forum, organized and convened by the MaRS Centre for Impact Investing, attracted more than 600 investors, entrepreneurs, finance professionals, charity leaders and public service visionaries who are reshaping markets and ensuring that every dollar makes a difference.

Later, at a private dinner at The National Club, Michael addressed 40 investors. He made the case that by using new eyes, we can invest to make the world a better place. But what is sustainable? This word lacks a common definition which can make it less attractive for investors who think their charity should be donating to anything sustainable, not as a serious investment case.

Talking about the confusion around the word sustainable, Michael chose to not use green on the cover photos of the sustainable investing white papers.

" It is not just about 50 Shades of Green," quips Michael. "It is about going beyond the public numbers to non-material data. that shows which companies are operating with the best interests of society, but also making the returns our investors seek."

At the Ticker Club, Michael spoke about how to invest, but with the sustainable filter.

Michael Baldinger is a former Wall Street trader intent on making UBS' $800 billion in asset management money greener and more socially responsible.

Since 2016, Michael Baldinger has served as Global Head of Sustainable and Impact Investing at UBS Asset Management (UBS). There, Michael leads a team of investment professionals focused on research and stewardship, client solutions and business strategy. And he is responsible for establishing world-class social and environmental impact investing across asset classes.
With 30 years in the financial services industry and a decade as an investor in sustainability, Michael brings a wealth of experience to all projects. Before joining UBS, Michael served as Chairman and CEO of RobecoSAM’s executive committee.