Rockefeller & Co. Commentary Underscores Potential For Societal Change Through Impact Investing

NEW YORK, April 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Rockefeller & Co., Inc. - a global investment management and wealth advisory firm that serves high-net-worth families, trusts, foundations, endowments and other institutions - recently contributed a thought piece on its long-term approach to sustainability and impact investing and the use of capital in seeking to create transformative change in society as part of the Financial Times' new report "Investing for Global Impact 2014."

"Rockefeller & Co. has a long-standing tradition of aligning the philanthropic values of our clients through our Sustainability and Impact Portfolios," noted Chief Investment Officer David Harris. "As an investment manager and steward of wealth, we believe public equities can be an effective means to pursue impact investments for positive social outcomes. As part of our approach, we seek to hold companies accountable for the societal impact they create within their ecosystems."

In the commentary piece, Rockefeller & Co. posits that as large multinational corporations become increasingly important to the global economy, these companies bear a responsibility to contribute positively to the societies in which they operate. In particular, Rockefeller & Co. notes:  

• The transformative potential that large companies have in the marketplace today is well established. It can allow for emerging businesses to thrive, and create new processes and models that can be shared across industries.
• Impact investing is an approach; it is about being deliberate, being intentional and paying attention. Whether one is investing directly, or through the expertise of an asset manager, impact investing is a specialized method of investing that requires specific metrics.
• Attention to one's effect must be paid in order for business to be conducted for the greater good of society, as well as for the economic gain of the owners. As a result, investors should be clear about their intentions across all asset classes, and then make sure that a consistent process is followed and assessed.

Farha-Joyce Haboucha, Director of Sustainability & Impact Investing at Rockefeller & Co., remarked, "Impact investing requires serious long-term engagement and commitment well beyond the initial selection. The Rockefeller & Co. approach is centered on nurturing long-term relationships of trust with management to help generate improved transparency and accountability of their business practices. We engage corporations through dialogue in an effort to improve how companies affect society."

For more information on Rockefeller & Co.'s Sustainability and Impact Investing practice area, please contact Farha-Joyce Haboucha, Director of Sustainability & Impact Investing at [email protected] or (212) 549-5220.

A copy of Rockefeller & Co.'s commentary on impact investing may be found by clicking on the following link www.rockco.com/sites/default/files/FT_Investing_for_Global_Impact_2014_Report_Preview_Rockefeller.pdf or by reaching out to your client advisor at Rockefeller & Co.

About Rockefeller & Co., Inc.
Headquartered in New York and with offices in Boston, Washington D.C., Stamford, Connecticut, and Wilmington, Delaware, Rockefeller & Co. provides comprehensive investment and wealth management services to a diversified client base of families, trusts, foundations and endowments and other institutions. As of March 31, 2014, the firm and its subsidiaries had approximately $46.3 billion in client assets under administration. For additional information, please visit www.rockco.com.

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SOURCE Rockefeller & Co., Inc.