Fund research teams at Hargreaves Lansdown, St. James’s Place (SJP), Cazenove and EQ Investors have adopted City Hive’s new ACT Informed (Action, Challenge and Transparency) framework and integrated it into their investment process.
ACT Informed applies to where ACT is used as an input into governance, oversight or research processes.
Organisations that adopt the recognition can publicly describe themselves as ACT Informed and gain access to supporting resources, such as the ACT Collective, a network of peers who provide insight and support.
Bev Shah (pictured) and Mandy Kirby, co-CEOs at City Hive, said they were “encouraged” by the early adoption.
“It reflects a clear shift towards more intentional consideration of culture within investment oversight.”
See also: City Hive ACT signatories rise to 40
Expectations around culture, behaviour and governance have risen and there is increasing scrutiny about investment decisions. ACT Informed allows organisations to demonstrate how they have considered and implemented this concern.
Meanwhile, Andy Ford, head of responsible investment at SJP, said: “Culture is central to long-term investment performance, and we believe the ACT framework can play an additive role in our ongoing manager oversight.”
Emma Wall, chief investment strategist at Hargreaves Lansdown, added: “We’re proud to integrate the ACT questionnaire into our due diligence process – if you are not transparent about your culture, you can’t be included in our solutions.”
