Kopi Time E16: Munib Madni on putting sustainability at the core of investment decisions

“The game is optimising and maintaining profits for the long-term, not maximising it over the short-term”   Munib Madni, CEO of Singapore-based Panarchy Partners, explains why he transitioned from a career in traditional buyside fund management to setting up a firm that seeks to redefine the notion of wealth and its creation. He walks us through the key aspects of sustainability-driven fund management, focusing on returns and progress on four forms of capital; human, social, environmental, and financial. Munib has joined a group of visionaries who use data analysis to assert that companies with strong social purpose and progress deliver sustainable financial returns over time. He addresses the challenges and opportunities, conceptual and practical, that come with this approach. The ongoing pandemic has shone a strong light on the resiliency of companies with greater purpose and responsibility, along with their preparedness to deal with forthcoming regulations in the post-pandemic world. As companies move from shareholder accountability to stakeholder accountability, and societies exert pressure on firms to become more cognisant of climate change, fund managers like Munib are a key part of these critical transformations.