Social Ventures Australia’s impact investing team has been named Asset Manager of the Year 2018 at the inaugural Australian Impact Investment Awards.
A collaboration between the Impact Investment Summit Asia Pacific and the Impact Investing Hub, the awards recognise outstanding activity and individuals in the Australian Impact Investing ecosystem.
The Asset Manager of the Year award takes into account the performance of assets, the evidence of the organisation’s impact, and how it contributed to the field of impact investing over the past 12 months.
Accepting the award on the behalf of the entire SVA impact investing team, SVA Director, Impact Investing Elyse Sainty said above all, the team was thrilled to be contributing to the good work being done in the Australian impact investing space.
“Congratulations to the other finalists and everyone working in this space,” she said.
“The world is full of challenges, and we are trying to do our bit, but we are only a small piece of the impact puzzle. It is great to be part of a field filled with passionate people doing great work.”
Over the past year SVA’s impact investment team has launched Australia’s first social impact bond tackling youth unemployment, secured a further $40 million commitment from superannuation fund HESTA for the Social Impact Investment Trust, and launched the Diversified Impact Fund (DIF), a new $15 million impact investment fund with an innovative downside protection structure. Recently SVA announced that through that fund it led a $2.1 million funding round for education services startup Maths Pathway.
Sainty thanked SVA’s investors, investees, crucial partner HESTA, and the many philanthropists who have supported SVA’s work over the years.
“Firstly, thank you to the over 200 investors, large and not so large, who have entrusted some of their money to us to do something positive to address social disadvantage,” she said.
“Secondly to the philanthropists who have supported SVA’s work over the years. Without you there wouldn’t be an SVA Impact Investing team. Our particular thanks to the Macquarie Foundation for their support of our SIB practice.
“And lastly and most importantly our gratitude to the investee organisations we work with every day – through the ups and the downs – who are our constant inspiration.”
SVA Executive Director, Impact Investing Michael Lynch echoed Sainty’s sentiments, and acknowledged HESTA for their contribution towards SVA’s impact investing work and the broader impact investing landscape.
“HESTA are a wonderful partner with big ambitions who are providing something of a blueprint for other institutional investors,” he says.
SVA CEO Rob Koczkar commented:
“SVA has a track record of pioneering success in the impact investing market and I am thrilled our impact investing team have been acknowledged by sector peers as Asset Manager of the Year. Their hard work and diligence are helping to build an Australia where all people and communities can thrive. The quality of winners of these awards demonstrates the continued development of the Australian impact investing ecosystem.”
Other winners on the night included:
- Jordan O’Reilly, co-founder of Hireup – Impact Entrepreneur of the Year
- QBE Insurance Group – Impact Asset Owner of the Year
- Impact Investing Australia – Impact Market Builder of the Year.
- Kylie Charlton, Chief Investment Officer, Australian Impact Investments; Venture Partner, Giant Leap Fund; co-founder and Managing Director, Unitus Capital – X Factor award for Outstanding Achievement.
