The Menzies Foundation is delighted to announce that Sam Richards, Managing Director, Brightlight has joined the Menzies Foundation Audit & Investment Committee.
Strategically, the Menzies Foundation is in the process of building an impact framework across all facets of its work.
Since the launch of the Foundation’s strategic platform in 2018, significant work has been done to build a catalytic grant making platform, and over the last 18 months the Foundation has considered how an impact investment orientation can optimize the Foundation’s impact agenda.
The Foundation recognizes the importance of environmental, social and governance practices of the companies in which it invests, and it in the process of implementing a responsible investment framework predicated on incorporating ESG factors as core components of decision-making and risk management. In addition, the Foundation is developing investment and strategic partnerships which support our collaboration partners to build sustainable blended capital models to achieve address leadership challenges.
Sam Richards, as Managing Director of Brightlight is responsible for delivering world-class solutions for values-led investors. Brightlight builds portfolios and products across the responsible, ethical and impact investment spectrum to positively transform lives and work towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Sam joined Brightlight Impact after over 15 years at Goldman Sach’s, leveraging his experience in investment management to institutional clients across the private, philanthropic and government sectors.
Committee Chair, Harvey Kalman, expressed his delight at Sam’s appointment: “The Menzies Foundation is focused on social impact and is increasingly aware of the importance of impact investment in addressing the world’s most significant challenges. Sam, as a leader in impact investment, brings outstanding knowledge and expertise to the work of the Foundation, and we are excited that he will contribute this expertise as we build an impact framework across the breadth of the Foundation’s work.’
Mr. Richards said:’ Impact Investment and new approaches to blended capital are a critical component of developing new ways to solve intractable social problems. I admire the Menzies Foundation’s ambition to ensure that the Australian investment community contributes to the global impact investment movement and look forward to working with the Foundation to make this a reality.’
