Applied for a 1-hour course: NC CIE, NC CPE, NC CFP and NC CLE.  

Abstract: 

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors have become integral to the modern investment landscape, driving a transformative shift in how investment decisions are made and evaluated. This presentation provides a comprehensive overview of ESG investing, beginning with its origins and evolution into a global movement.  Attendees will understand the origins and background of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors in investing. They will learn about the significant tax and regulatory developments that are embedding permanent changes into the marketplace, and they will have a better understanding of the investment performance associated with both passive and active methods of ESG investing. They will learn who the major investors are in this space, and of the wide range of investment products available to meet this investor preference/demand.

Speakers:

Robert E. Pike, CFA, AIF
Robert E. “Emery” Pike is a Senior Advisor at Sheets Smith Wealth Management, an SEC Registered Investment Adviser in NC. He focuses on ETF and mutual fund research to deliver efficient asset allocation and investment solutions to private clients, retirement plans, and endowments and foundations as an outsourced chief investment officer (OCIO). 

He was formerly a Senior Vice President with the Wachovia Corporation, where he managed portfolios and provided investment research in the Asset Management group for a variety of foundations, endowments, hospitals, corporations, mutual funds, common trust funds, and individuals. He also founded Stratford Advisors, an independent investment advisory firm, and ran it for 15 years before combining with Sheets Smith in 2020. 

Emery serves on the Investment Committee of the Plan Sponsor Council of America (PSCA), the leading voice for America’s retirement plans. For the past decade, he has had a unique opportunity to engage with managers of the largest retirement plans in the country as well as leading attorneys and regulatory experts in the field. He is a regular contributor to PSCA’s INSIGHTS quarterly journal, where his research articles provide timely updates and guidance to managers of retirement plans. In 2020, at the request of the plan sponsor community, he co-edited the “PSCA ESG Resource Guide”, one of the first nationally published comprehensive research guides to address the rise of sustainable investing. 

Emery graduated cum laude with “Honors in History” from Wake Forest University and received an MBA from the Babcock Graduate School of Management of Wake Forest University. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) credential and is a past President the CFA NC Society. He also holds the Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF®) credential from the Center for Fiduciary Studies. 

Emery also served for many years as an Adjunct Professor of Finance at High Point University, where he taught courses on Managerial Finance, Investment Analysis & Portfolio Management, Fixed Income Investing, and Personal Finance.