16 January 2025 – Understanding impact performance: a masterclass for asset owners and allocators.

Join us from 14:30-17:00 GMT for an in-person masterclass on impact reporting with Impact Frontiers.

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Pensions for Purpose and Impact Frontiers are partnering to improve the comparability, consistency and quality of impact performance reporting. We are jointly hosting an in-person masterclass to understand how asset owners can use impact reports prepared by asset managers to inform their engagement and allocation decisions.

This informative session will look at the ‘The Impact Performance Reporting Norms’ (version 1), with expert insights from Impact Frontiers who developed them. The Norms were released in April 2024, following an 18-month consultation with over 350 report preparers, users and reviewers, and aim to help improve the quality and comparability of impact reporting.

This masterclass is timed to coincide with the implementation phase to pilot and produce the first generation of impact reports aligned with The Norms. The event will be of interest to any asset owner with, or considering, impactful investments and provides an opportunity to:

  • Build awareness and understanding of The Norms – what information should be included in an impact report, who should receive the report and why reporting is important.
  • Develop a roadmap to improve the usefulness of impact reports in decision-making.
  • Network with other asset owners and allocators on impact reporting best practice.
  • Influence future revisions and adaptations to The Norms.

We look forward to welcoming you to an engaging masterclass with valuable networking opportunities, followed by a lunch hosted at EY, affording the chance to further our conversations.

Date: Thursday 16 January 2025
Time: 14:30-17:00 GMT (Registration at 14:30 for an 15:00 start)
Location: EY,1 More London Place, London SE1 2AF (Room1MLP Vista)

Space is limited – we encourage you to book early to avoid disappointment.

Agenda: 

14:30-15:00

Registration

15:00-15:05

Introduction

15:05-15:15

Scene setting

15:15-15:40

Why focus on impact performance? 

15:40-16:00

Impact Performance Reporting Norms

16:00-16:15

Coffee break

16:15-16:40

What should an impact performance report include?

16:40-16:55

How can asset owners interpret and act on impact performance? 

16:55-17:00

Towards standards for investor-level impact reporting

17:00-20:00

Networking drinks reception


Who should attend?

This event is open to asset owners. 

Sponsor









Impact Frontiers

We are a peer learning and market-building collaboration, developed with and for asset managers, asset owners and industry associations. We create practical tools and peer-learning communities that support investors in building their capabilities for managing impact, and integrating impact with financial data, analysis, frameworks, and processes.

As well as stewarding the Impact Management Norms that were developed by the Impact Management Project, we also facilitate consensus-building in areas of practice where standards and guidance do not yet exist, using practitioner experience to jump-start conversations.

Register here

Speakers

Matt Ripley, Director, Impact Frontiers

Matt is responsible for leading research and field-building projects. Before Impact Frontiers, Matt was Head of Impact at The Good Economy, where he led a team supporting alternative asset managers to strengthen their impact management practices. He established The Good Economy’s impact verification and assurance service, as well as advising on the fast-moving landscape for sustainability regulations and impact management norms.

From 2016-2019, Matt was evaluation lead for the UK government’s flagship initiative to develop the impact investing ecosystem in the global south. As part of this role, he innovated stakeholder-centric approaches to impact measurement for the UK’s development finance institution and supported the establishment of Impact Management Project.

Matt spent over a decade at the United Nations working on labour rights and employment impact assessments. He was technical lead for the development of the Global Impact Investing Network's IRIS+ Quality Jobs theme.

He has published widely on the topics of social impact measurement and evaluation. Matt’s articles have appeared in the Stanford Social Innovation Review and Pioneers Post, as well as in peer-reviewed journals and being presented at meetings of the Academy of Management. He holds degrees from University College London and King’s College London alongside the CFA Certificate in ESG Investing.

Mike McCreless, Founder and Executive Director, Impact Frontiers

Mike is Founder and Executive Director of Impact Frontiers, a peer learning and market-building collaboration supporting investors in pioneering new ways to integrate impact alongside financial risk and return in investment practices. In 2020, he led the investors participating in the first Impact Frontiers cohort to co-author the article ‘How investors can integrate social impact with financial performance to improve both’ in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, as well as an accompanying Investor Handbook. Most recently, he co-authored the chapters on impact management and investor contribution for the forthcoming Certificate on Impact Investing from the CFA Society of the UK.

Mike served concurrently as Head of Investor Collaboration at the Impact Management Project from 2019 to 2021. Before that, he was Head of Impact at Root Capital, where his article ‘Toward the efficient impact frontier’ was featured in the Winter 2017 issue of SSIR. He holds an MBA and an MPA in International Development from Harvard University, as well as a BA from Yale University.

Host

David Brown, Senior Director & Training Lead

David has worked in the pension and financial services industry for over 35 years and has both UK and international experience. As well as being Senior Director & Training Lead at Pensions for Purpose, David is an accredited professional pension trustee. 

David has broad investment, risk management and operational experience across both defined benefit and defined contribution schemes with a particular interest in environment, social and governance (ESG), and climate change. He holds the CFA Certificate in ESG Investing as well as being a Fellow of the Pensions Management Institute.

Pensions for Purpose

Pensions for Purpose exists as a bridge between asset managers, pension funds and their professional advisers, to encourage the flow of capital towards impact investment. Our aim is to empower pension funds to seek positive impact opportunities and mitigate negative impact risks.

Our Community allows members to learn from leaders in the impact investment industry. We provide a trusted environment to interact, collaborate and share knowledge. Members engage in a programme of activity to shape their strategy in ESG, sustainable and impact investments.

For more information, please email the Membership Manager.