Neuberger Berman: Best ESG Investment Platform North America 2020

Bigger is not necessarily better. Fiercely independent and employee-owned, Neuberger Berman refuses to compromise. The New York investment firm, led by CEO George Walker, manages $374 billion in client assets as of September 30, 2020. Since 1939, Neuberger Berman has been driven by a singular mission to deliver ‘compelling’ long-term results for its clients by minding basic and solid investment fundamentals.

The firm works with institutions, advisors, and individual investors around the world on investments across asset classes and market capitalizations in both the public and private markets. Neuberger Berman enjoys a reputation for operational excellence based on the unimpeded flow of information within and without the organisation. The firm’s institutional strength is reflected in its senior staff retention rate which is counted amongst the highest of the industry.

Long before much larger investment managers caught on and sustainability became a ‘thing’, Neuberger Berman already included a host of non-financial performance data in its decision-making process. Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) parameters are employed to assess risk and gauge long-term returns. In the 1940s, the firm applied its first ‘avoidance screens’ to filter out risky investment propositions. In 1989, the company set up a Sustainable Equity Investment team – another industry first.

The CFI.co judging panel notes that at Neuberger Berman, ESG investing has been a given for many decades. Perfected over time, and with a track record of delivering consistently superior results, the firm’s avantgarde approach has belatedly gone mainstream. However, the judges feel that Neuberger Berman is a dedicated ESG pioneer rather than an addition to the bandwagon. The judging panel is therefore pleased and honoured to recognise Neuberger Berman as the winner of the 2020 Best ESG Investment Platform North America Award.