Boston, MA – On Tuesday, December 16th, the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) Initiative announced that Geeta Aiyer, President and Founder of Boston Common Asset Management, was elected by PRI members to the Advisory Council in the investment manager position.
“I am humbled by the confidence the PRI members have shown in me,” said Aiyer. “I look forward to working with the members of the Advisory Council to continue the PRI’s work as a force for positive change within the global investment industry.”
Aiyer’s firm, Boston Common Asset Management, is an investment manager and leader in global sustainability initiatives. The firm’s unique investment process enhances conventional investment analysis with its proprietary Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) framework. Through targeted engagement efforts, Boston Common seeks to improve transparency, lower business risks, and promote long-term thinking by corporate management. Since its inception in 2003, Boston Common has built a strong investment record and has meaningfully improved corporate practices in the U.S. and abroad.
The United Nations-supported PRI Initiative was established in 2006 to advance environmental, social and governance practices among investors. It has experienced strong membership growth and now boasts more than 1,300 signatories globally, representing $45 trillion in assets under management. The Principles are significantly impacting the dynamics of the investment industry by providing a framework for the integration of sustainability issues into investment practices worldwide.
Martin Skancke, Chair of the PRI Advisory Council, said: “I am pleased to welcome Geeta to the Advisory Council and look forward to working with her and all of the Council members over the next three years, as the PRI continues to implement new initiatives that will benefit our signatories across the globe.”
In her pre-election candidate statement, Aiyer emphasized her belief that the PRI has a duty to help its signatories “tackle the new issues, asset classes, and markets that will truly accelerate the growth of responsible investment and create a more just, sustainable world.”
Aiyer’s career as an investor and entrepreneur has focused on sustainable and responsible investing, pioneering its expansion into the global space for U.S. investors. With over 25 years of investment experience, her unique leadership has been demonstrated in founding two successful investment firms: Walden Capital Management (1994) and Boston Common Asset Management (2003). She serves on the Board of Directors of several organizations, including the Sierra Club Foundation, Earthworks, and Ubuntu at Work, a global non-profit for women. Aiyer holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation from the CFA Institute and received her MBA from Harvard Business School.
Media Contact:
Lisa Hayles, lhayles@bostoncommonasset.com, tel: +1 617-960-3892
About Boston Common Asset Management
Boston Common Asset Management is an experienced investment manager and a leader in global sustainability initiatives. It specializes in long-only, global equity and balanced strategies for U.S. investors. The firm’s investment process combines financial analysis with a proprietary Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) framework. Boston Common’s overall goal is to preserve and build capital and to add value through targeted company and industry engagement efforts. The firm is recognized as a women- and minority-owned business by the Massachusetts Supplier Diversity Office.
About the Principles for Responsible Investment
The United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment Initiative (PRI) is a network of international investors working together to put the six Principles for Responsible Investment into practice. The Principles were devised by the investment community. They reflect the view that environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) issues can affect the performance of investment portfolios and therefore must be given appropriate consideration by investors if they are to fulfil their fiduciary (or equivalent) duty. The Principles provide a voluntary framework by which all investors can incorporate ESG issues into their decision-making and ownership practices and so better align their objectives with those of society at large.
