Valerie is a respected portfolio manager and organizational leader with over 20 years of professional investment experience as a buy-side analyst and portfolio manager. A thought leader in the field of responsible investing, Valerie frequently provides market commentary for CNBC, Bloomberg News and other media outlets on responsible investing and equity markets more broadly. She has been a featured presenter at industry conferences, including those hosted by CFA Society New York, CFA Society Ottawa, the KPMG Board Leadership Center, the Yale Initiative on Sustainable Finance, and the Harvard Business School Club of New York, among others.
Valerie grew up in Takoma Park, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, DC known for beautiful azaleas, political activism, and cultural diversity. At a young age, she developed an interest in international affairs, the visual and performing arts and forensic speech. These early experiences and interests continue to influence her leadership style and her approach to assessing complex business and social issues. Early in her career Valerie worked at McKinsey & Company and Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc., a pioneer in corporate social responsibility. From these experiences she gained an appreciation for evidence-based decision making and the benefits and risks of investing with a focus on profitability and social impact. Moreover, these experiences enabled her to recognize the investment and commercial potential of responsible investing before mainstream investors adopted the practice.
"Valerie is dynamic and engaging. She brings to life the opportunities and challenges of investing with a focus on sustainability in a way that resonates with a wide range of audiences."
- Professor Daniel C. Esty,
Hillhouse Professor of Environmental Law and Policy, School of the Environment and Clinical Professor of Environmental Law & Policy, Yale Law School
MEET VALERIE
"Valerie received 100 Women
in Finance's 2020 Industry Leadership Award in recognition of her global leadership in ESG investing and visibility as a role model for the next generation.
It was a well-deserved acknowledgment of Valerie's passion for investing and for effecting change in our industry."
- Amanda Pullinger,
Chief Executive Officer, 100 Women in Finance
In 2020, Valerie published an article entitled “Mosaic Theory in Responsible Investing,” in Values at Work - Sustainable Investing and ESG Reporting. The book, edited by Professors Daniel Esty of Yale Law School and Todd Cort of the Yale School of Management, provides a practical reference on ESG investing for the growing pool of investors, financial advisors, companies, and academics seeking information on this topic.
She is a member of the Value Reporting Foundation’s Standards Advisory Group, a standing committee of industry experts that provides ongoing feedback on standards for corporate disclosure on material ESG issues.
Valerie’s contributions and accomplishments have been recognized by her peers as well as leading industry organizations. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and received the North America Industry Leadership Award from 100 Women in Finance in 2020. In 2016, Valerie was recognized by the Council of Urban Professionals with its Catalyst Award in recognition of her professional accomplishments, public service and philanthropy. Valerie resides in New York and is a trustee of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia where she serves on the compensation and audit committees. She earned a BS in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Harvard Business School, where she was a George F. Baker Scholar. Valerie was also a Rotary Foundation Scholar in the Department of Economics at the University of Zimbabwe and is a CFA charter holder.
