Career conversations: Finding the link between tech and sustainable investing

I started my career in the technology team, where I was designing a product solution for the global investment teams. And that's where I think the triggering point started, where I got fascinated with the asset management industry.

My name is Ankur Gupta. I work as Vice President, Sustainable Investing with Northern Trust Asset Management.

As part of my role, I was interacting with the fund managers and analysts on the daily basis. And when my colleague told me about the CFA® course, I was sure at that point of time that this is something which I wanted to pursue because there was so much learning and content which I was planning to explore, and I felt it will really add a lot of value because I was interacting with the investment teams on a daily basis. And that's where the transition begin. I started pursuing my CFA® (charter) in 2015 and I haven't looked back.  

I cleared all the three levels in a single attempt. And the knowledge which I have gained really helped me to have better interactions with the investment teams in-house. And my technology skills helped me think about how we can have better solutions, which can solve the problems our investment teams are facing.

I still remember in 2017 when I got an offer from a Business Head, checking if I would be okay to transition from technology to business. I think the CFA® curriculum played a key role there because I remembered I completed my Level II and I was planning to apply for the Level III.

I think that's what transpires, the business had to have someone who can think from the root, ability to understand what problems we can solve, and that's why my official transition happened from technology to ESG world.

I think earlier when ESG investing was considered, it was very narrowly defined. But now since it has become mainstream, there are dedicated focus and specialists who are working in the areas of investments, compliance, risk reporting, you name it.  ESG has it.

CFA® (Institute) also has an ESG certification, which I have completed. It is a good course, which has a lot of breadth to offer in terms of covering various topics, going into the detailing and giving you a good end-to-end perspective, how ESG should be integrated into investments.

I would strongly recommend to interact with people who are either pursuing CFA® (Program) or who have already completed it. There are a lot of stories which comes out of those interactions which really help you to shape your planning in a different way or to overcome some of the challenges that you might be facing.

Eventually it's all about making slow and steady progress and have a plan in hand, which suits your daily needs so you are able to progress on a daily basis.