From trawling The Eighth Day shop on Manchester’s Oxford Road in a long black cloak and dress to chairing the UK’s largest in-house pension asset manager at USS via one of the first graduate trainee schemes for stockbrokers, Sarah Bates has a long, storied and hugely successful career in the City and beyond. She has been a fund manager, a CEO, and has chaired some of the UK’s biggest pension funds.

Sarah was also one of the founders of The Diversity Project in 2015 which continues to make significant strides in improving DEI in the UK’s savings and investment sector.

But what makes Sarah tick, and what is her take on the state of regulation and reputation in today’s asset management sect

In this episode, Neil Robson of law firm Katten, and David Masters of reputation specialists Lansons/Team Farner talk to Sarah about the challenges of improving DEI in the investment industry, the state of current regulation and what asset managers could do to improve their reputation with clients.

Recorded and produced at the Lansons Studios

Building a business with a diversified employee base is no longer a nice to have, its necessary, both in terms of talent retention but client retention as well. The regulator is also insisting that financial services firms put in place evidence-based diversity and inclusion strategies that take into account the individual firm's progress on these efforts.

The reputational hazards are many. Reputation is mostly driven by behaviour and if you claim to building a diverse team when you aren’t, the regulatory and reputational fall out are clear. And in a world where the war for talent is raging harder than ever, firms that that fail to develop progressive employment strategies are likely to fall behind.

Furthermore, the evidence is stark. Diverse teams outperform.

In this episode, Neil Robson, partner with law firm Katten, and David Masters of reputation specialists Lansons/Team Farner delve into the increasingly knotty area of DEI, from the perils of over claiming and under delivering, to the increasing scrutiny around non-financial misconduct.

Disclaimer: The content in this podcast is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice and is not intended to establish an attorney-client relationship, nor is it intended to suggest standards of care applicable to attorneys in any given situation. This podcast is considered attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Any views, opinions or comments made by external guest speakers - are not to be attributed to Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP and/or Katten Muchin Rosenman UK LLP or their individual attorneys/lawyers. All rights reserved.

Recorded and produced at the Lansons Studios

An increasingly diverse regulatory landscape presents substantial reputational challenges for investment managers.

Amid the shifting ESG terrain at the heart of financial services, investment firms are recalibrating their approach to sustainability, grappling with the balance between upholding ESG principles and avoiding regulatory pitfalls. If you're managing ESG related funds, you could now be fired by some of the very largest pension funds in the U.S.

Asset managers need to navigate an increasingly vocal anti-ESG group of asset owners, as well as the renewable energy investments in China, and the tragic impact of global conflicts.

In this episode, Katten Partner Neil Robson, Lansons|Team Farner Asset Management Lead David Masters and Lansons|Team Farner Sustainability Lead Sam Sharpe delve into the evolving sustainable investment challenges faced by asset and wealth managers whilst regulations and attitudes move in differing directions.

Recorded and produced at the Lansons Studios

ESG, and specifically sustainability, is an increasingly controversial topic for investment managers, with diverging regulation in Europe, the US and UK, and rising numbers of reputational hazards to navigate. Many fund companies are removing phrases like “ESG” and “sustainable” from product names, whilst downgrading the obligations that these funds have to the principles of ESG. At the same time, it seems that many investment businesses have been overstating their sustainability credentials, and at least two firms have been fined over $25 million in recent years for making false claims.

In this episode, we explore the increasingly widespread issue of misconduct surrounding ESG. From the companies that have fallen foul of the regulations and the regulatory trends, to the challenging act of maintaining a good reputation in an environment where ESG appears to have as many detractors as it has advocates.

Disclaimer:

The content in this podcast is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice and is not intended to establish an attorney-client relationship, nor is it intended to suggest standards of care applicable to attorneys in any given situation. This podcast is considered attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Any views, opinions or comments made by external guest speakers - are not to be attributed to Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP and/or Katten Muchin Rosenman UK LLP or their individual attorneys/lawyers. All rights reserved.

Recorded and produced at the Lansons Studios

Back in early June, it looked like we were set for a balmy summer, but then the storm broke. A Financial Times and Tortoise Media investigative feature in the FT Weekend magazine detailing a series of allegations of sexual misconduct by the eponymous hedge fund founder at Odey Asset Management set off a chain of events that will have far-reaching consequences for financial services businesses.

This is a story which is defining the sector’s image in the public eye. But what are the underlying lessons from this, and where do we go from here?

In this episode, we explore the increasingly widespread issue of non-financial misconduct in financial services, drawing on cases such as that alleged against Odey Asset Management. From the FCA’s Fitness and Propriety Handbook to The Crystal Methodist and Jonathan Burrows, our hosts navigate the complex path where regulation and reputation intersect.

Recorded and produced at the Lansons Studios