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Vision
“Maximise the leverage of business and finance for sustainable development.”
Mission
“Dedicated to building capacity for sustainable investment in emerging markets.”
Rationale
VantagePoint Global (VPG) believes that business and finance offer the highest leverage for enhancing sustainable development.
In
emerging markets social, environmental and geopolitical issues pose the
greatest challenges as well as provide the biggest opportunities for
creating sustainable return on investment. Economic projections
estimate that the GDP of Brazil, Russia, India and China could exceed
the G6 in less than 40 years. As accelerating global economic
activity increasingly impacts social and environmental conditions,
there is an urgent need to support sustainable development.
In
emerging markets environmental exposure is high, and markets are beset
with the risks arising from corruption, lack of transparency and social
tensions. VPG seeks to use the leverage that business and finance offer
for promoting sustainable development in emerging markets, thereby
harnessing the power of markets to achieve economic, social, and
environmental benefits.
It
is VPG’s conviction that the knowledge and practice required to
guide sustainable investment needs to be anchored in the emerging
markets themselves: rather than importing aid and regulatory tools, VP
will work to build self-sustaining practices and businesses locally.
Opportunity
“The knowledge and capacity gap are more of a problem for development than the finance gap.”
Peter Woicke, former Executive Vice-President, International Finance Corporation (IFC)
Today,
tools or services that make it easier and more effective for investors,
financial services organizations or companies to comply with,
contribute to, and further the objectives for sustainable development
when investing in the emerging markets are few.
The
capacities for delivering such services are currently missing due to
lack of knowledge and practical experience. In order for sustainable
development in emerging markets to become a reality it is of critical
importance to undertake the necessary efforts to develop both the
knowledge and practice base in these countries themselves.
By
supporting local organizations and initiatives and promoting their
capacities for offering the services, tools and knowledge investors
interested in sustainable investment need, VPG enables the formidable
lever sustainable investment represents to create positive
impact.
VantagePoint
Global’s initiative contributes to a decisive global
transformation leading to increased transparency in emerging markets,
new capacities for local investment services providers, heightened
awareness of the risks and opportunities in local markets and improved
attractiveness for capital investment.
OrganiZation and People
VantagePoint
Global's founding donors are Alison
and David Blood, The Blood Family Foundation, US. Mr David Blood is
Managing Partner of Generation Investment Management and former CEO of
Goldman Sachs Asset Management, UK.
Partners
VantagePoint
Global (VPG) welcomes strategic partners and associates to support
existing projects, co-initiate and implement new projects and
contribute to building and strengthening its network. Our strategic
partners and associates are private persons, foundations, corporations
and consultants who are committed to making a significant difference
and who are willing to engage in innovative approaches to enhance
sustainable development in emerging markets.
By
joining VPG you support our commitment to building capacity for
sustainable investment in emerging markets and demonstrate that you
share our belief that sustainable development in emerging markets can
be maximized by the leverage that business and finance offer.
Our partners include:
Network
Our
global network consists of international leaders in capital markets,
business and industry, foundations, venture philanthropy, social
enterprise, sustainable development and geopolitics. Strengthening and
developing its network is an essential ingredient for VPG’
success.
If you would like to join our community, or require more information, please contact us.
Team
Oliver Karius
Managing Director, Co-Founder
 Throughout
his career, Oliver has focused on sustainable development, science,
business and finance. He has strong connections to the for-profit and
non-profit sustainable investment market in the US, EU, South-Africa
and Japan. He is a partner at LGT Venture Philanthropy (www.lgt.com). He was Head of Research for Forma Futura, an independent asset management company focusing on contributing to a sustainable quality of life (www.formafutura.com).
Before setting-up VPG, Oliver served as Manager Research
Services and Senior Sustainability Analyst at SAM Research for the Dow
Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI). He was responsible for investment
research, product-development and client-services for SAM
Research’s global client base including Corporate Sustainability
Benchmarking for the world’s largest listed companies. Prior to
that Oliver worked for one of Europe’s largest Asset Managers
F&C (formerly known as ISIS) specializing on all aspects of
Socially Responsible Investment.
Oliver
holds a MSc from Imperial College, University of London and a Dipl.
Biol degree from the Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany.
Oliver speaks fluent English, German and conversational French and
Afrikaans.
Alois Flatz
Co-Founder
 Alois’
career has focused exclusively on the interface of business/finance and
sustainable development. He is a managing partner of zouk ventures ltd
in London, an independent venture capital firm established in 1999,
dedicated to clean technology. Alois is on the Board of BTS Investment
Advisors, a specialised boutique focused on financial consultancy and
investments in the Indian private equity sector, advising assets with a
value of over USD 800 million. Alois is the co-founder of the Dow Jones
Sustainability Indexes (DJSI). Before founding VPG he served as partner
and member of the Executive Committee of SAM Group where he was
responsible for SAM Research Inc., product development and SAM Indexes
GmbH.
Alois holds a Ph.D. in Business administration from St. Gallen
University, Switzerland. He holds a masters degree in business
administration from University of Economics of Vienna, Austria and a
post-master diploma in international management from Ecole des Haute
Etudes Commerciale (HEC), Paris, France. Alois is fluent in German,
English and French.
Francois Escher
Co-Founder
Francois Escher is a founder of Prospectives Advisors,
a strategic advisory firm focusing on the development of corporate
strategy, future business scenarios, sustainability, and organizational
capability. He was Director of Strategy & Marketing with Motorola
Semiconductor Europe (SPS) and General Manager of Motorola Switzerland;
Director for Global Strategic Capabilities and New Business Development
with AT&T International Operations; Director of Strategy &
Alliances, Europe with DEC. In addition, from 1999 to 2001 Francois
served on the Board of SAM.
Francois
graduated at the Institute of International Studies (IUHEI) of the
University of Geneva in international relations, political sciences and
economics (M.A.). He also holds diploma for Development Studies (IUD
Geneva) and a degree in social sciences from the University of
Neuchatel (BA). A Swiss citizen, he has a multi-lingual and
multi-cultural background, and is fluent in German, French, English,
and Italian.
Andrew Gaines
Associate
Andrew
has over five years’ experience in management consulting in the
insurance and financial services sector. He has been working with VPG
since March 2006 on risk mitigation mechanisms aimed at enabling an
increase in private sector investment in emerging market enterprises.
Before joining VPG, Andrew worked at Accenture in the UK insurance
practice, specializing in business change and project management. Prior
to that he was a project manager in the insurance division of Credit
Suisse, supporting senior management in the firm’s European
subsidiaries. While in Switzerland, Andrew started ProBono Ventures, a
freelance network of pro bono consultants supporting budding
entrepreneurs with small business development.
Andrew holds an MBA in International Finance from HEC School of
Management in Paris and a BA in Sociology and Organizational
Communication from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. Andrew
speaks fluent English, German, French and conversational Spanish.
(www.gainespartners.com)
History
VantagePoint Global (VPG) was initiated by Alois Flatz, Oliver Karius and Francois Escher in 2004.
This team has over 25 years experience in developing and implementing
sustainable investment approaches and bring an extensive international
network of industry experts and opinion leaders. Major accomplishments
in the past include the successful development and execution of the Dow
Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) and the independent rating as the
world’s No #1 Sustainability Research in 2004.
They
went on to look for new and innovative ways to address the social and
environmental dimensions of investing towards and engaging in the
emerging markets: How to go beyond today’s SRSI (Socially
Responsible and Sustainable Investment) standards of developed
economies and how to extend them so as to involve mainstream finance
globally?
VantagePoint Global represents a step in that direction. |
