Industry Trends Refresh: ESG, Crypto, SPACs, Closed-End Fund Activism

The last two years have brought fundamental changes to the way the asset management industry operates, including a greater focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, ESG, and new product opportunities. Below is a list of webinars that examined how fund directors can think about those trends in their oversight role.

Webinar Archive: ISO Crypto Exposure: What Boards Need to Know

This webinar with lawyers from Vedder Price provided an overview of how funds can obtain exposure to cryptocurrency and the factors boards should consider in evaluating plans to enter this asset class. This webinar originally aired on November 9, 2021. Click here to log in and view. 

Webinar Archive: The Nuts & Bolts of SPACs

Steve Barry, CIO of Fundamental Equity at Goldman Sachs, and Jody Foster, independent director for Hussman Investment Trust, discussed topics relating to SPACs for mutual fund directors as part of the Forum's Investment Series. This webinar originally aired on September 22, 2021. Click here to log in and view.

Webinar Archive: ESG Taxonomy - Ratings, Benchmarks, and Other Board Challenges in an Uncertain Regulatory Environment

In this first session of the MFDF/Broadridge series on ESG, panelists discussed the uncertain regulatory environment for ESG and how boards may approach their oversight role despite the lack of industry-wide definitions and standards. This webinar originally aired on Wednesday, October 27, 2021. Click here to log in and view.

Webinar Archive - ESG Fund Expenses and Performance: Differentiating Types of ESG Strategies and Pricing/Performance Trends

This second session of MFDF’s ESG webinar series provided clarity around largely positive data on the performance, expenses, and pricing of ESG products. This webinar originally aired on November 3, 2021. Click here to log in and view. Click here to log in and view.

Web Event Archive: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Investment Management

MFDF partnered with EY center for Board Matters to present Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Investment Management. Participants in this session discussed how fund directors can encourage diversity of thoughts and talents in investment management, attract a wide range of talent to the industry through fund board diversity and ask better questions of advisors and their diversity initiatives. This event originally aired on Thursday, June 10 and Friday, June 11, 2021. Click here to log in and view

Webinar Archive: What if Closed-End Fund Defenses Fail? Preparing for an Activist Board Member

Jennifer Gonzalez of K&L Gates LLP discussed the pros and cons of potential actions boards could consider now to prepare for the possibility that an activist candidate is nominated and elected. The webinar originally aired on Thursday, January 21, 2021. Click here to log in and view.