On November 20th in New York City, CBIS brought together the board members of each of its related entities – the CBIS Corporate Board, the CUIT Funds Board and the CBIS Global Funds plc Board – for a joint meeting to discuss the success the firm has had in the Catholic institutional space – and to hear a variety of panel discussions to bring them up-to-date on trends in, and some best practices related to, board governance.
“All of CBIS’ various board members are actively involved in our business,” said Brother Michael O’Hern, President & Chief Executive Officer of CBIS, “and they have stood at the forefront of governance issues, actively challenging us, and helping guide the development of our innovative service offerings.”
The board members also were presented with a panel that reviewed the current state of the Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) space which underscored the history of SRI investing. Many faith-based organizations, including CBIS, helped to establish the SRI industry, as they brought the importance of key social issues to the forefront and showed how collective shareholder efforts could bring about change in corporate board rooms and in corporate policy. Also discussed were the ongoing drivers of innovation in SRI and how they may drive distribution of products in the future.
“We have particular interest in the evolving efforts of our colleagues in the investment industry, in how they are developing new ways of delivering socially responsible strategies,” said David Skelding, Executive Vice President, CBIS. He went on to note, “At CBIS, we deliver Catholic Responsible Investing, or CRI, our own unique brand of SRI that allows Catholic organizations to unify their faith with their investments. We believe no other asset manager offers this kind of distinctive approach customized to the Catholic space.”
The joint meeting also underscored the success CBIS has had over more than 30 years working exclusively with Catholic organizations in the U.S. and abroad. “And because the Districts of the De La Salle Christian Brothers in the United States and the Center of the Institute in Rome own CBIS, we have a consonance of mission with the Catholic institutions that we serve,” said Francis G. Coleman, Executive Vice President, CBIS. “We are a partner with each organization in preaching the gospel through the socially responsible management of their assets. By fully incorporating the Church’s social teachings into the investment process, we bring the mission of the Church into the marketplace.”