The CEO of the Impact Investing Institute, Kieron Boyle, discusses the nuances of impact investing, its various definitions, and the role it plays in creating a fairer, greener, and more resilient future.
Kieron explains the mission of the Impact Investing Institute, a nonprofit established by the UK government to accelerate impact investing both in the UK and globally. The conversation highlights how impact investing operates within financial markets to drive significant social and environmental outcomes.
Kieron Boyle defines impact investing as investing with the intention to generate positive social and environmental impacts alongside financial returns. This type of investing can range from commercial-plus investments, which offer good financial returns with additional impact considerations, to investments with high impact but potentially lower financial returns. The discussion emphasizes the importance of using impact as a lens for investment decisions, aiming to mobilize an additional trillion pounds of impact investment over the next five years. They explore the need for deeper, more liquid, and transparent markets to facilitate greater investment in impactful ventures.
The episode also addresses the challenges of impact investing, such as the necessity of pricing negative externalities to better align market activities with social and environmental goals. Kieron explains how blended finance can pool different types of capital to unlock greater investment in impactful ventures. They discuss the role of various actors, including governments, private businesses, institutional investors, and philanthropic organizations, in advancing impact investing. Collaboration among these sectors is highlighted as crucial for achieving systemic change.
Kieron shares practical steps and resources for those interested in impact investing. The Impact Investing Institute offers a comprehensive knowledge hub and library to help investors and other stakeholders learn more about impact investing. A recently published report, "Family Offices: A Roadmap to Impact," provides insights into how family offices are engaging with impact investing. The episode concludes with a call to action for investors to adopt impact as a fundamental filter in their investment strategies, aiming to create a more equitable and sustainable future.
About Kieron Boyle
Kieron Boyle, CEO, Impact Investing Institute. Kieron Boyle is a leading figure in the impact economy, advocating for a system that values people and the planet alongside profit.
In 2023, Kieron became the Chief Executive of the Impact Investing Institute, the UK's national body dedicated to impact investing. The Institute acts in the UK and internationally to transform capital markets for a fairer, greener, and more resilient future. Over the next 5 years, the Institute is working towards mobilising £1 trillion to investments that benefit people and the planet.
From 2016 to 2023, Kieron served as the Chief Executive of Guy's and St Thomas' Foundation, one of the world's oldest health foundations. Under his leadership, the Foundation gained global recognition for pioneering innovative approaches to urban health and transforming its £1 billion investment arm into one of Europe's leading impact investors.
Kieron's career has been dedicated to driving real-world change in complex systems. He established several influential initiatives and organisations, including Impact on Urban Health, the Access Foundation, the Government Outcomes Lab, and the Arts Impact Fund. He also played a key role in bringing Giving Tuesday and the B-Corp movement to the UK.
Previously, Kieron led the UK government's work on social innovation and held key positions at No.10 Downing Street and the UK Foreign Office. He started his career at the Boston Consulting Group in New York.
Kieron is a Governor of the Southbank Centre and serves on the Board of Better Society Capital. He chairs LIPH, a $7 trillion global alliance of institutional investors focused on improving health, and is a member of the IPPR cross-party Commission on Health and Prosperity. Recognised as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, Kieron was awarded an OBE in 2024 for his services to the impact economy.