Matthew Wiles, Senior Investment Analyst. Matt Joined LGT Wealth Management in July 2021 to lead on sustainable fund research. Before joining, Matt worked at Aberdeen Standard Investments as an Investment Manager where he developed and managed a number of sustainable portfolios as well as having responsibility for fund research across multiple asset classes and sectors. Prior to joining ASI, Matt worked at Scottish Widows Investment Partnership and Lloyds Banking Group. Matt has over 20 years industry experience and holds the CFA ESG, CIPM and IMC qualifications.

Why is corporate culture becoming more important to you when deciding who you allocate assets to?

Having worked at a number of firms over the years I have seen firsthand the impact corporate culture can have on teams and individuals, and ultimately the success of a business. Corporate culture plays an essential role in retaining and attracting talent, the best people want to work at the best firms and vice versa. A positive and inclusive working environment encourages employee engagement, job satisfaction and crucially, productivity. Additionally, a strong corporate culture should enhance a firm’s reputation and brand image as well as help build trust amongst customers, suppliers and the industry they operate within. All of these characteristics should be supportive of creating and maintaining sustainable business models, which in turn should create a positive environment for a company to succeed, and thus underpin potential investment opportunities.

In your view, why is it important to set a higher standard of stewardship and behaviour within the investment industry?

High standards of stewardship should be considered essential when investing to ensure company management and shareholder interests are aligned. This should involve responsible and ethical management of resources at a financial level, as well as on an environmental, social and governance basis, whilst helping build credibility and trust amongst all stakeholders, including; employees, customers and investors. Good stewardship should be transparent and progressive, and should better enable companies to mitigate risk, navigate industry and regulatory change, and be better positioned to capitalize on emerging opportunities.

Why did you decide to sit on the ACT Stewardship Council and what does it mean to you personally?

I was delighted to be asked to join the ACT Stewardship Council. Having a powerful collective voice to help drive material, positive change in the industry is a real privilege and one I am proud to be a part of. It’s an honor to work alongside likeminded people, who share the same passion and commitment to help shape the future of business and the investment industry.