They say the key to success in investing is time in the market, and Genus has certainly put in the time. This year marks our 35th anniversary since our founding in 1989, and we’re celebrating the way we always do: by continuing to make a positive impact for our clients – and for the planet.
Of course our success formula is about much more than just time and experience. It also includes our incredible people, our ability to innovate and our dedication to our clients. “We’ve made a real difference by working with clients to achieve their financial and values-based goals through education, collaboration and communication,” says Sue-May Talbot, Portfolio Manager/Partner, who, as employee number one at Genus, has been with us for more than 30 years and has seen us through many transformations.
Through it all, what has kept us centered amidst all of the technology and regulatory changes, the globalization of capital markets, and the shifts in values, demographics and investing priorities, she says, is “being a client advocate and creating products, services and efficiencies to improve the overall client experience.”
One of the leaders in sustainable investing
When Wayne Wachell and Leslie Cliff came together to found Genus in 1989, the world was a different place. Sustainable investing was in its infancy, and the concept of ESG investing was still 15 years from being popularized. The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was established that same year, but much of the public debate still centred on the possible causes of climate change, as opposed to solutions.
In the decades since, we really have come a long way. Climate change mitigation efforts have advanced, and so, too, have opportunities for investors to direct their funds into portfolios that not only support these efforts, but that aim to not sacrifice financial returns to do so. “When I joined Genus, the sustainability piece had just been launched and was a harder sell for most clients,” says Mary Lou Miles, Portfolio Manager/Partner, who has been working with Genus for 20 years. “Now with demographics changing, clients are demanding that more of their values be reflected in their portfolios.”
Sustainable investing has become one of our core areas of expertise, because it’s something our clients have told us is important to them. And we’re thrilled to see how much it’s grown around the world. “Sustainable investing globally has grown substantially over the past seven years, and it has been great seeing Genus as one of the leaders moving it forward,” says Mike Thiessen, Chief Sustainability Officer and Co-Chief Investment Officer. “In the grand scheme, I see us being a force in moving assets away from destructive industries and toward innovative, sustainable and positive sectors.”
That’s why we’ve expanded our offerings when it comes to responsible investments, so that we can meet our clients wherever they are along the impact investing spectrum. “Most financial institutions and firms now offer some type of ESG fund, so there are more competitors in the space, and more reason to continue to innovate and push the bar with our product offerings,” says Thomas Irwin, Client Relationship Manager/Partner. “For us, sustainability has been our focus for many years, and we continue to innovate and find better ways of doing things and new funds, setting the bar higher. The Global Impact Bond Fund, Impact Investment Counsel and Net Impact ScoreTM are all ways we’ve shown leadership and continue to advance and break new ground.”
Values and impact focused
Of course it’s not just sustainability that is valued by our clients, it’s also global impact. That’s why we’ve aligned our investment portfolios with seven of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals ranging from gender equality to responsible consumption and production.
The introduction of our innovative Net Impact Score™ in 2020 allowed us to go even further in creating – and measuring – global impact with our investments, and to provide our clients with a holistic perspective on their portfolio — and its net-positive impact on the world.
We also do our best to walk our talk, particularly when it comes to gender equality. We not only invest in companies that support this goal, but from day one, we have hired and supported women in rising to senior leadership positions within the company. Today we boast 50% women on staff, and we exceed industry averages with 67% female executives and 44% female shareholders. “I appreciate the opportunity to have a voice as an employee, partner and with the leadership team to ensure clients are well served,” says Miles. “The team is respected and supported, and I have unlimited opportunities to learn and grow.”
We also engage with the companies we invest in by exercising our shareholder voice to keep them accountable to their impact targets. To that end, we work with SHARE, Canada’s leading shareholder engagement program, to ensure active engagement with our portfolio holdings.
Partnerships with like-minded organizations have played a critical role in engaging with impact and responsible investors in a variety of domains, and our growing community of impact investors has thrived thanks to partners like the Social Venture Institute, SVX and Spring Impact Capital.
Finally, we’re so proud that our impact-focused journey led us to our B Corp certification in 2017. Becoming a B Corp really crystalized for us the value and importance of upholding and truly living the investment principles we espouse to our clients. In fact, in 2022, Genus was named one of B Labs’ Best for the World in the Customers category. And as of our last certification in 2021, we achieved the highest B Corp ranking in Canada among investment advisor firms. We’re currently in the process of recertifying again, and aiming to achieve an even higher score.
Embracing innovation
As with any industry, wealth management has evolved significantly in the last 35 years. And Genus has evolved with it, guided by our clients’ needs and goals. “Technology has enabled the industry to have better, faster data,” says co-founder and Chair of Board, Leslie Cliff. “Clients have more information at their fingertips, so we have added more value via high-touch client service and enabling clients to have their values reflected in their portfolios.”
We’ve embraced the use of quantitative technologies to analyze the vast amount of information required to assemble and continuously rebalance our portfolios. “In the last seven years, I’ve seen the success that comes from being adaptable as a company to changing investment landscapes,” says Ian Lusher, Portfolio Manager. “I don’t know how a firm can adapt quickly without using quant factors in their investment process.”
We’ve also introduced numerous screens to enable our clients to filter out harmful industry sectors and corporate practices, or to emphasize positive impact.
And, like nearly every other industry, we’re now in the throes of exploring the impact of AI, and how best to put it to work for our clients without compromising on the human touch that allows us to deliver the personalized client service we’re known for. “We’re working on finding efficiencies and increasing productivity through streamlining processes and workflows in order to add value,” says Batool Tejani, our Head of Client Services, who adds that the “opportunity to innovate and be consistently challenged” has kept her thriving in her role over the past four years.
Community and family-mindedness
But possibly the best part of our work is when we get to come together as a team to support one another. Genus truly is a family company, where long-time team members mentor and support new hires in achieving their goals.
We all come together to contribute to our communities through regular volunteer opportunities, and encourage everyone to live out their values. “My favorite memories are when we get together as a team to contribute to our communities, such as our recent beach cleanup with our client SeaSmart School Society,” says Chief Growth Officer/Partner, Shannon Ward. “These events give us a chance to connect with each other, have a good time and have a positive impact on our communities.”
It all comes down to the way we want to make an impact. “Knowing our work is centered around the values of our staff and our clients is huge to me,” says Marketing Lead Graham Farmer. “I always want to be able to make change with my work, and with Genus I feel like we constantly see new examples of the change being made.”
Whether we’re mentoring our team member’s children as they take on internship positions, or simply celebrating a big, new client, we’re all dedicated to supporting one another in every undertaking. “I appreciate watching staff learn and improve and become really outstanding professionals,” says Cliff. “It makes me very proud.”
And Wachell agrees. “The feeling of success and celebrating with team members after winning a big mandate – nothing beats that. It’s high fives all the way around.”
35 Years of Genus – A Timeline
- 1989: Genus was founded
- 1994: Launched first sustainable portfolio
- 2005: Onboarded first environmental foundation
- 2010: Divested from extreme carbon investments
- 2013: Launched Fossil Free family of funds
- 2014: Launched High Impact Equity Fund
- 2017: Became Certified B Corp
- 2020: Launched Net Impact ScoreTM
- 2021: Recertified as a B Corp
- 2021: Launched Impact Green Bond Fund
- 2022: Named B Labs’ Best for the World in the Customers category
- 2023: Launched Canada’s first Indigenous conflict screen for public equities
- 2024: Assets Under Management of $2.08 billion
Interested in making an impact with your investment portfolio? Get started today with our digital and personal wealth management services.
References:
- Byrne, D. (2023) What is the history of ESG?, The Corporate Governance Institute. Available at: https://www.thecorporategovernanceinstitute.com/insights/lexicon/what-is-the-history-of-esg/#:~:text=A%202004%20report%20from%20the,to%20embrace%20ESG%20long%2Dterm. (Accessed: 06 August 2024).
