The World is at war with an invisible killer. Millions people are in lock-down; people are losing their jobs; shortages of basic necessities are causing hardship; and governments are requisitioning productive assets to fight this enemy. The spread of Covid19, which few had even heard about in January, has been terrifying with over a million cases reported globally at the end of March.
Against this backdrop, we are supporting the ICCR Investor Statement on Covid19, which provides an important framework for our ongoing engagements with investee companies.
As long-term investors our priority is to ensure the sustainability of our clients’ companies so they can continue to thrive into the future. We believe this means supporting our companies to act responsibly with their customers, staff, suppliers and indeed local communities. These relationships are part of companies’ critical intangible assets that help succeed. During this pandemic, difficult choices will need to be made to preserve cash and underpin solvency.