ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE
Impact investment practices are part of our core business strategy.
OUR COMMITMENT
We are committed to creating value.
For AS Equity Partners ESG or Environmental, Social and Governance practices are part of our core business strategy through the lens of value creation for all stakeholders – investors, portfolio companies, employees and communities.
We are committed to creating value for our portfolio companies and returns for our investors while investing and operating responsibly. We continue to evolve our practices across the investment lifecycle and our firm.
AS Equity Partners complies with the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) and report annually on its progress in integrating ESG into our investment processes against the six principles.
We also consider the ten principles of the UN Global Compact Principles in our due diligence of target companies before we decide to invest.
At AS Equity Partners ESG considerations are integrated into our due diligence process to help identify risk and opportunities.
ESG program is an integral part of our Value Creation strategy. We actively invest, monitor and measure the ESG program with our portfolio companies.
We do this through:
- Overseeing our ESG strategy with a dedicated ESG and ESG Committee leader comprised AS Equity leaders and the board.
- Embedding ESG factors into our investment process to help identify risk and opportunity. Climate change, carbon footprint, employee well-being, diversity & inclusion, governance, cybersecurity, and community outreach are some of the ESG factors we address to build successful companies.
- Monitoring and engaging with portfolio companies on ESG topics to create additional value
- Identifying and investing opportunistically in companies that deliver positive outcomes for people, communities and society.
- Continuing to improve reporting to our investors and stakeholders to ensure transparency and accountability.
As a private equity firm, one of our most important assets is our people. We are committed to honoring a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives in building successful portfolio companies and our own firm.
We believe that an increased level of diversity in perspectives across our firm will drive greater outcomes for our investments and, ultimately higher returns for our investors.
Our Approach to Incorporating ESG in Our Investment Process
DUE DILIGENCE
During pre-investment due diligence, AS Equity Partners leverages an ESG framework to analyze ESG risks and opportunities.
- Conduct an in-depth assessment of the material ESG factors in company’s industry, ESG approach, business conduct, potential risks and opportunities
- Identify ESG-related value creation opportunities
OWNERSHIP VALUE CREATION
ESG Due-diligence findings are integrated into value creation plan.
- Collaborate with the portfolio company’s leadership team to create ESG transformation plan
- Provide ESG reporting framework, toolkit and hands-on support for ESG plans to ensure policies and processes are designed to mitigate risks
MONITOR & TRACK
Accelerate ESG transformation through data-driven measures and reporting.
- Deploy dedicated ESG leadership and resources
- Conduct annual ESG assessment to review progress on the ESG program and determine ESG program maturity
- Discuss ESG initiatives during board meetings
EXIT
Companies with strong ESG performance are more appealing to buyers, resulting in higher multiples and returns for investors.
- Quantify, document and monitor ESG value creation performance data
- Integrate ESG transformation and value creation performance into the equity story
CASE STUDY
ESG Lens of the Investment: QDQ Response to COVID-19 Crisis in the Community
“SMEs are the heartbeat of Spanish economy. In some cases, the impact of COVID-19 has brought their business to stand still. We believe that the most valuable resource we can contribute to SMEs is the one we offer our clients everyday—our intellectual capital and business knowledge. Helping SMEs to become stronger organizations out of the COVID-19 crisis is the most lasting contribution we can make to our local communities.”
QDQ Community Leadership Circle Program – (CLC)
Our Mission:
The QDQ Leadership Community Circle is a knowledge-sharing and skills-based program that delivers business-focused coaching, mentoring, training and education on Digital Marketing to the local SMEs who will be re-opening, rebuilding and renewing their business.
It is designed to enable QDQ employees to volunteer their time, knowledge and skills to help SMEs gain the critical knowledge to rebuild their businesses.
QDQ Contribution:
QDQ employees can use up to 20 paid hours in the next 6 months to become QDQ CLC volunteers.
Benefits of the CLC Program:
- Empowers employees to share their knowledge and skill with their community SMEs
- Provides employees to further develop their coaching, consulting and leadership skills
- Provides SMEs with needed knowledge, coaching, tools and resources they cannot afford
- Allows QDQ to offer specific knowledge and unique Digital Marketing experience of our professional workforce. . . Which is what SMEs need most at this time of financial crisis
- Can be delivered using web-based video conferencing tools – Google Hangouts, Zoom, etc
LOCATIONS AND CONTACTS
London Office
AS Equity Partners
16 Berkeley Street, London W1J 8DZ, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 20 3907 4211
Zürich Office
AS Equity Partners
Churerstrasse 54, 8808 Pfaffikon, SZ, Switzerland
Phone: +41 55 415 7025