WEBVTT - Examining Gender-Lens Investing

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<v Speaker 1>Our next guest Websites notes that they coined the term

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<v Speaker 1>gender smart and is not focusing on the is now

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<v Speaker 1>is now? Excuse me, focusing on the integration of gender

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<v Speaker 1>analysis into a newer existing investment process for better social

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<v Speaker 1>and financial outcomes. So Zann Biageles co founder of gender Smart.

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<v Speaker 1>It's a community of individuals across the finance ecosystem and

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<v Speaker 1>they're working on moving more gender smart capital more strategically

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<v Speaker 1>around the globe. So let's get more on her efforts

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<v Speaker 1>and outcomes. Uh, She joins us via zoom from the UK. Hey, Suzanne,

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<v Speaker 1>nice to have you here with Mike Regan and myself. Um,

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<v Speaker 1>I want to start if I can, with some of

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<v Speaker 1>the news because you are in the UK, and of

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<v Speaker 1>course we've been focusing on UK Prime Minister Lis Trust

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<v Speaker 1>resigning women in leadership roles. How does a development like

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<v Speaker 1>this impact the narrative around women leaders or how we

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<v Speaker 1>think about being gender smart, if at all. Well, I

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<v Speaker 1>think the reality is that for women or male leaders,

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<v Speaker 1>the key is to be paying attention to what people

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<v Speaker 1>really need healthcare, access to affordable energy, access to goods

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<v Speaker 1>and services that make their lives better. Um, and that

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<v Speaker 1>gender balanced leadership and leadership that's really paying attention to

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<v Speaker 1>the stakeholders that are involved is what we need. So, uh,

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<v Speaker 1>I don't think that liz trust is particular position says

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<v Speaker 1>anything about gender lens investing? Well, Susan. If I'm an investor,

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<v Speaker 1>how how do I approach this issue? Is it a

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<v Speaker 1>matter of sort of counting up the number of women

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<v Speaker 1>on boards and in management positions? You know? Is is

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<v Speaker 1>there more to it? Um? You know? How how do

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<v Speaker 1>I invest with the gender to lens? Thanks for asking that.

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<v Speaker 1>So the first is that we're really thinking about where

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<v Speaker 1>we see women in leadership, governance, employment, supply chains and customers.

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<v Speaker 1>And the key is to really be thinking about not

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<v Speaker 1>only counting. So where do I see a woman on

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<v Speaker 1>a board? Or where do I see a woman entrepreneur?

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<v Speaker 1>But really looking at is that entrepreneur creating something of

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<v Speaker 1>value in the market? Do they really have product market fit?

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<v Speaker 1>Do they understand how to really value their labor uh

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<v Speaker 1>and their supply chains? And are they creating good policies

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<v Speaker 1>and practices? And it could be male or female laid businesses,

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<v Speaker 1>But where do you see gender balance and where do

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<v Speaker 1>you see attentiveness to what the needs are of those

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<v Speaker 1>different kinds of stakeholders. So in in a bigger company,

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<v Speaker 1>in a listed company, you might be thinking about the

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<v Speaker 1>policies and practices. Do they have good care benefits, do

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<v Speaker 1>they have good leaf benefits, do they have pay equity?

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<v Speaker 1>What does it look like from a recruitment, retention, advancement

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<v Speaker 1>promotion perspective, And what we see and what the market

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<v Speaker 1>sees is that where you have better gender attention to

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<v Speaker 1>gender UM and those gender balance practices, you get better

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<v Speaker 1>financial outcomes and you get more access to talent, you

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<v Speaker 1>get access to customers, you get access to innovation on

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<v Speaker 1>a different level. So as with some document you share

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<v Speaker 1>with us, and we talked about this a lot that

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<v Speaker 1>you know, diversity including women and just in general, having

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<v Speaker 1>you know, a more diverse senior management, diverse boards, it

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<v Speaker 1>does lead to a better financial outcome. What are some

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<v Speaker 1>of the numbers that you're finding and some of the

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<v Speaker 1>work that you're doing UM with investors or the investment community,

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<v Speaker 1>What are some of the outcomes that you're getting. So

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<v Speaker 1>I look at Bloomberg. Bloomberg New Energy Finance came out

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<v Speaker 1>with a report at the end of looking at where

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<v Speaker 1>you have again publicly listed companies with better gender diverse

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<v Speaker 1>leadership and governance, better climate outcomes, better innovation outcomes, and

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<v Speaker 1>better financial outcomes. Um. And so I think about anyone

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<v Speaker 1>who is looking in the twenty one century at a climate,

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<v Speaker 1>who is a climate smart business, and who is really

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<v Speaker 1>going to be paying attention to the trends and the

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<v Speaker 1>indicators that we need. There is going to be looking

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<v Speaker 1>for gender balance and diversity, equity and inclusion as part

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<v Speaker 1>of the solution. And if you're from oh, I'm sorry, Susan,

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<v Speaker 1>if you're you know, if you're an investor sort of

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<v Speaker 1>assessing the entire investment landscape, is there is there a

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<v Speaker 1>solution to do this sufficiently, you know, sort of a

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<v Speaker 1>technology technological way to sort of score gender equality the

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<v Speaker 1>way you would some of the E. S G factors. Yeah.

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<v Speaker 1>So there's a company called Equally, I mean Equally M

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<v Speaker 1>s C. I uh, and a number of others are

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<v Speaker 1>are doing this work. Um. And if I think about Equally,

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<v Speaker 1>which I think is the top at this on this level,

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<v Speaker 1>they're looking at nineteen variables. So they're looking at again,

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<v Speaker 1>where do you have not only women on boards, but

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<v Speaker 1>where roles are they in. They're looking at women in

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<v Speaker 1>leadership again, what roles are they in and what's going

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<v Speaker 1>on with PA equity, including, by the way, bonus compensation,

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<v Speaker 1>which is an issue that people often will leave out

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<v Speaker 1>when they're talking about PA equity. UM. When you're looking

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<v Speaker 1>at employment again, those different factors around the policies and practices. Similarly,

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<v Speaker 1>with supply chains, do you have a resilient and supply

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<v Speaker 1>chain where pay is fair, where working conditions are fair? Um?

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<v Speaker 1>And in some places obviously there's a legislation and man

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<v Speaker 1>and mandates around that UM here in the UK Modern

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<v Speaker 1>Slavery Act, and in other places we don't have that

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<v Speaker 1>requirement for data collection. UM. From a customer standpoint, you'd

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<v Speaker 1>be looking at again, where do you have customers who

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<v Speaker 1>are Where do women customers really value those products and

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<v Speaker 1>services that improve their life? So they look at these

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<v Speaker 1>nineteen variables they compare across four thousand companies UM, and

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<v Speaker 1>they are feeding their data is feeding about a billion

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<v Speaker 1>and a half in funds. So you know, we have

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<v Speaker 1>to run, but hopefully we can catch up with you

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<v Speaker 1>again in the near future. Suzanne Biegel, co founder of

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<v Speaker 1>Gender Smart, joining us via zoom from the UK. This

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<v Speaker 1>is Bloomberg Radio