Connecting the dots: understanding purpose in the investment industry

Value creation in the investment industry: white paper series

This document has been written by members of the Thinking Ahead Group 2.0 (Marisa Hall, Tim Hodgson) following the research and discussion conducted by the Thinking Ahead Institute’s value creation working group. The authors are very grateful to the members of the working group for their input and guidance but stress that the authors alone are responsible for any errors of omission or commission in this paper.

The aim of this white paper on purpose, and subsequent others in the value creation series, is threefold:  
(1)to create a deeper understanding of the purpose of the investment industry and the agents within it,(2) to consider what is value creation, how it evolves over multiple time horizons and the implications for stakeholders and (3) to consider how the industry’s value proposition to end savers can be improved.

The mission of the working group is both altruistic (we believe that creating real value for the end saver is the right thing to do) and fulfils enlightened self-interest (by serving the interests of society and the end saver, our own organisations benefit too).