Exclusive: ‘Shooting for Sustainability’ – Sarah “Your impact or your life!” Bratton-Hughes, American Century Investments in “Buckaroos 2022”

Picture this. The saloon doors of a dingy criminal den creak open to reveal the silhouette of a cowgirl. One that means business. Silence befalls the unlucky gang. Their days of greenwashing and truth-manipulating are about to end. Above her holster, one finger twitches. Then BAM! BAM! BAM! Two smoking barrels later, and all the gang’s paper plans for greenwashing are in tatters, flying around the room like feathers.

There’s a new way of doing things around here. And it’s called REAL sustainable investing. That cowgirl is none other than Sarah “Your impact or your life!” Bratton-Hughes.

Real, honest investments

“If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it”, begins Bratton-Hughes. We’re talking about sustainable investments. Not with a director. Not with a manager. With the Senior Vice President and Head of ESG & Sustainable Investing at American Century Investments. Formerly the Global Head of Sustainable Solutions at Schroders, Sarah Bratton-Hughes. This is big stuff.

“Although most have good intentions”, she continues. “There is greenwashing in the market right now and it is very important to understand the intended and actual impact of your investments in terms of both financial returns and real world progress”. BAM!

Toxic greenwashing has spread around the investment industry like a rash. And Schroders is one of the few institutions that has not been pumping billions of dollars into fossil fuels on the sly. While many others have been saying one thing, and doing another, Bratton-Hughes has managed to keep her team in the green. WE. LOVE. THAT.

So how do you pick out a genuine sustainable investment from the fakes? “Sustainability should be embedded throughout an organization”, Bratton-Hughes explains. “From the purpose and commitment of the organization, to integration at the investment desk level, to a focus on where investment dollars are being allocated”. Nice!

And a refreshingly honest character

As well as fixing the world investment by investment, Bratton-Hughes is refreshingly honest. We asked about her challenges and braced ourselves to hear a story about a sleazy client or tyrant boss. Instead, we got this.

“My most challenging moments tend to be self-inflicted, self- doubt – having the confidence in myself to push beyond my comfort zone” … We really liked that brutally honest answer. It’s raw, real and (for most of us) all too relatable. It was the slow-talking, arm-swinging, cowboy-extraordinaire, John Wayne who said, “Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway”.

Doing the right thing is not always a walk in the park – or a swagger in the ranch – but in today’s world it’s more important than ever. Here’s to doing the right thing! And here’s to Sarah “Your impact or your life!” Bratton-Hughes. Our sustainability-lovin’ buckaroo!

This article was published in “Buckaroos 2022”, Page 28