“Impact Investing” is an emerging field of asset management that directs capital to enterprises that generate social outcomes or environmental benefits that are valued as highly as the financial returns. Impact investing is becoming increasingly popular, but is not always fully understood in regard to how impact can be measured and how impact and profit can go hand in hand.
To address these questions in-depth, we are bringing together Sir Ronald Cohen, regarded globally as the ‘father of impact investment’ and author of the book IMPACT: Reshaping capitalism to drive real change, and Stewart Langdon of LeapFrog Investment.
In IMPACT, Sir Ronald Cohen shows that a solution is within our grasp. He calls it the Impact Revolution. He shows us how impact investment can reshape our economic system, transforming the private sector from a polluter and driver of inequality into a powerful force for good; distributing opportunity more fairly; and bringing solutions to our great social and environmental challenges. He claims that the Impact Revolution promises to be as innovative and disruptive as the Tech Revolution that has preceded it.
Sir Ronald Cohen is a preeminent international philanthropist, venture capitalist, private equity investor, and social innovator, who is driving forward the global Impact Revolution. He is Chairman of the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (which succeeded the G8 Social Impact Investment Task Force, of which he was also Chair); Chairman and co-Founder of The Portland Trust; co-Founder of Social Finance UK, US, and Israel; co-Founder of Bridges Fund Management UK, US, and Israel; and co-Founder of Big Society Capital. Each of the initiatives he leads today aim to shift the allocation of human and financial resources to creating positive impact. In 1972, he co-Founded what became Apax Partners Worldwide LLC, which he led as its Executive Chairman until 2005. Sir Ronald has served on a number of prominent investment boards, including the Harvard Management Company and the Oxford Investment Committee. He invests in profit-with-purpose companies and is an active global philanthropist, tackling issues ranging from Israeli/Palestinian peacebuilding to humanities and the arts. Each day, he strives to live by a simple principle: Do Good, Do Well!
Stewart Langdon is a Partner with LeapFrog Investments and co-head of all Asian investments. Stewart previously worked in corporate finance, investment banking and capital markets advisory as a vice president at Rothschild, specialising in the insurance, banking and telecom sectors across Asia, Africa and the Middle East. After completing a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Aberdeen, he began his career as an executive in the audit team at EY, before going on to qualify as a chartered accountant.
LeapFrog Investments is a private investment firm that invests in high-growth financial services and healthcare companies in emerging markets. The success of Leapfrog Investments in impact investing was made clear recently when Temasek Holdings, the Singapore Government investment company, announced a USD 500 million allocation to the firm. LeapFrog owns significant stakes in companies in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Thailand, Indonesia and India. It raised its first fund of $135 million in 2009 to invest in insurance and related financial services companies. In September 2013, LeapFrog Investments launched its second fund, raising USD 204 million initially, and in 2014 it announced the fund was oversubscribed at USD 400 million. In January 2016, Prudential Financial invested $350 million USD with the firm. LeapFrog has offices in Mauritius, Singapore, South Africa, Australia and the United Kingdom. In 2017, LeapFrog was ranked fifth on Fortune magazine’s 2017 Change the World list. Stewart Langdon also sits on the Board of Directors for the Asia Scotland Institute.
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