Organised through a joint venture with Responsible-investor.com the conference features a research-based, market-driven program that ‘reflects the wants and needs of fiduciaries, trustees, attorneys and compliance specialists’, said the organisers.
Although the conference was US focused, Christian Super’s Mark Spencer was able to present an Australian viewpoint on the importance of an Investment Belief Statement (IBS).
“Whilst the conference came about as a result of the events of the past few years which led to the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), I think it’s important to look forward and so my comments about the importance of an Investment Belief Statement were very timely,” Mark said.
“Whilst it’s probably going too far, it could be said that if the US financial services industry had more explicit Investment Belief Statements, the GFC may not have occurred,” he said.
Christian Super has recently adopted its own IBS which seeks to define why they invest as they do. “It provides us with some core principles that direct our investment behaviour” said Tim Macready, Christian Super’s Chief Investment Officer.
“All financial institutions have beliefs about investments, markets and the economy,” Mark said. “These beliefs drive and define all our other investment practices and policies and if we don’t articulate them, then we have no opportunity to critique them, to test them in the crucible of trustee debate and discussion, to refine and mould them,” he said.
For more information on Christian Super’s investment process visit their website www.christiansuper.com.au
