Sustainability

Message from the Chief Executive

A responsible approach to managing our business and our portfolio has been key to how we have operated since 3i was founded in 1945. Our purpose at that time was to contribute to rebuilding post-war Britain by providing growth capital to small businesses. The responsibility that came with that original purpose still guides our behaviour today.

We are a small organisation of approximately 250 employees. With assets under management of £32.9 billion, the impact of our actions on the environment and society is determined largely by our portfolio. We invest in and manage our portfolio responsibly, with regard to the consequences of our actions on stakeholders. This practice is built on our values, strong governance and robust processes, both at 3i itself and at our portfolio companies. This approach has allowed us to earn the trust of our shareholders, co-investors and investee companies, and to recruit and develop employees who share our values and ambitions.

We adopt a transparent approach to corporate reporting. We are committed to communicating our progress on driving the sustainability agenda through our operations and portfolio in a clear, open and comprehensive manner and to maintaining an open dialogue with stakeholders.

"We invest with the objective of generating attractive returns through the cycle for our shareholders and co-investors. We aim to achieve this objective sustainably by behaving responsibly as an investor, an employer and a corporate citizen. "

Simon Borrows, Chief Executive

 

Simon Borrows - Chief Executive

Our sustainability strategy is defined by three key priorities

1. Invest responsibly

2. Recruit and develop a diverse pool of talent

3. Act as a good corporate citizen

We believe that a responsible approach to investment adds value to our portfolio. As proprietary capital investors, we invest selectively in a few businesses every year, giving due consideration to the sustainability of investee companies’ activities before deploying capital and throughout the holding period. We buy majority or significant minority holdings in our core portfolio companies and are represented on their boards, which enables us to ensure that they assess their environmental or social impacts, devise strategies to mitigate them, and invest in the development of sustainable goods and services. We adopt a thematic approach to origination and portfolio construction, backing businesses that benefit from structural trends which can support long-term sustainable growth.

Our people are our main asset. Recruiting, retaining and developing our talent is therefore a priority. We have an open and non-hierarchical culture, provide an inclusive and supportive working environment with opportunities for training and career development and foster the physical and mental wellbeing of our employees. We value diversity and believe that a variety of perspectives enhances our decision making. Our employees are recruited, promoted and rewarded on merit. We are an equal opportunities employer and prohibit all forms of discrimination.

We embed responsible business practices throughout our organisation by promoting the right values and culture among our people and through the implementation of robust policies and processes. We expect our employees to act with integrity, to be accountable for their behaviour, and to approach their roles with ambition, rigour and energy. We evaluate our employees against our values as part of our formal appraisal process every year.
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