Integrated Investment

and Fund Management

As independent advisor and research team leader I provide services in support of shaping integrated investment management. This involves taking responsible investment mainstream, in different asset classes including listed equities and private equity as well as the areas of wealth management and impact investing.

Working with horisontal and interdisciplinary teams, I provide co-leadership in delivering:

Planning, design, quality control and interpretation of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) analysis of business performance, including determination of material relevance in appropriate context and advice for future-fit portfolio development,

Development of integrated investment analysis, taking findings of ESG and fundamental or comparative financial analysis and defining connectivity and causal relations between key performance aspects and core financial value drivers, and

Facilitation of investor engagements with investee companies and institutions, leading critical yet collaborative discussions to take stock of progress, areas for improvement, dilemmas, long-term implications and true value creation.

The Sustainability Business Case: A Model for Incorporating Financial Value Drivers, The Conference Board, Director Note(DN-V5N12-13 2013)

Business case analysis by Marc Bertoneche of Harvard and myself. Updated version published in The Conference Board’s Sustainability Matters 2014, Research Report R-1538-14-R, 2014.

Finding the God particle of the sustainability business case: Greener pastures for shareholder value, Harvard Business School Finance Working Paper  No. 13-072 (HBS 2013)

Co-written with Marc Bertoneche, Visiting Professor of Finance at Harvard Business School. Illustrates a refined Green Business Case Model, including seven core financial value drivers.

Nature in Performance (World Resources Institute 2011)

Co-authored with Graig Hanson and Suzanne Ozment of the WRI, a concise guide on the integration of ecosystem services into business performance systems incl ISO14001 environmental management systems, Global Compact Performance Model and WRI / WBCSD Corporate Ecosystem Services Review.

Towards a Green Economy (UNEP 2011), Manufacturing Chapter, co-lead author with Prof Robert Ayres, INSEAD

Contribution to UNEP Green Economy Report, covering risks and opportunities facing manufacturing in a resource-constrained world, the costs of business-as-usual, supply and demand side strategies for greening and lean manufacturing.

Working Towards Sustainable Development: Opportunities for decent work and social inclusion in a Green Economy (ILO et.al. 2012) 

Manufacturing and Buildings Chapters, contributing author with Michael Renner, Worldwatch Institute. Part of updated ILO Green Jobs Report, addressing growth and employment opportunities in greening of manufacturing, building & construction including emerging skills requirements.

Unchaining Value: Innovative approaches to sustainable supply (SustainAbility, UNEP and UN Global Compact, 2008)

Worked with the SustainAbility team in developing this report, addressing new trends in global supply chain management and applying a partnership approach in value chains to advance social responsibility standards. Focused on the ICT and Agrifood industries including global commodity initiatives.

"The international network and experience of Cornis in working with sustainability initiatives such as the Global Reporting Initiative and ISO 26000 is well recognised. I would certainly recommend him for project work related to sustainability and the use of environment, social and governance criteria in business and investment decision-making."
"Cornis always struck me as a thoughtful consultant with a broad understanding of non-financial issues facing large corporations globally, issues with significant impact on the investment case. He showed a strong ability to connect financial and non-financial performance. We highly appreciated the way he handled the engagement process with our portfolio companies."