Ep #22: Sustainable Solutions and ESG Investing with Will Collins-Dean

Will Collins-Dean is a Senior Portfolio Manager & Vice President as well as Chair of the Investment Stewardship Committee at Dimensional Fund Advisors

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9/13/2021 - 52 minutes


Episode Summary

My guest today is Will Collins-Dean is a Senior Portfolio Manager & Vice President as well as Chair of the Investment Stewardship Committee at Dimensional Fund Advisors, where he translates academic research into sustainable investment solutions for his clients.


Today he joins the show to discuss environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies, specifically the landscape of ESG investing and the different issues each area tries to target.Listen in as we cover how approaches to ESG impact the long-term strategies of publicly traded companies and the ERISA implications based on DOL guidance. You will learn the importance of conducting due diligence as a plan advisor, as well as what that may entail. We also go over the approach that Dimensional takes to design and implement ESG strategies.


What You'll Learn

  • What to be aware of as you consider the ESG landscape.
  • How the interest in ESG has evolved over the past year or two.
  • The current challenges facing investors given the increased popularity.
  • What stakeholders should be focused on in terms of ESG investing.
  • How Will’s team ensures what they are suggesting is backed by science.
  • How businesses are screened in terms of sustainability.
  • Where the industry is headed over the next 5 years.


Links to Resources


Ideas Worth Sharing

  1. “We have seen a doubling of net flows into sustainability funds.” - Will Collins-Dean
  2. “Think of these prepackaged ratings as being more opinions than objective facts.” - Will Collins-Dean
  3. “You shouldn’t sacrifice sound investment principles in pursuit of specific ESG outcomes.” - Will Collins-Dean