Katie Wu (HBA ‘11) is the Associate Director, Sustainable Investing, Private Markets at Manulife Investment Management. She describes three experiences that contributed to her journey and success in a sustainability related career.
International experience
As an HBA student, Katie participated in Ivey’s exchange program and spent a semester at Peking University. She credits this time in Asia, alongside experiences living in Europe and North America, with exposing her to new case studies to approach problems in different ways. Through her time spent abroad, and as an immigrant to Canada, she gained firsthand exposure to the impacts of inequality around the world. For example, though she first learned about climate change issues growing up, it was learning about the real challenges, and opportunities working with companies to build solutions, that propelled her interest in sustainability work as a career.
Katie also credits adaptability and agility learned from past experiences that became directly applicable to her current role in sustainable investing, an industry that is constantly developing. As the sustainable investing space grows, and best practices and regulations are shaped, continuous learning and adaptability are a must.
Gaining skills in ‘traditional’ investing
Katie’s drive led her to connect with Ivey alumni while on exchange in Beijing, allowing her to land an internship at a China-based investment fund. Through this role and other internships in finance and consulting, Katie gained skills in research, due diligence, and analytics that helped her thrive in her eventual role in sustainable investing.
“Working in sustainable investing at an investment management firm … you need to be able to tie the material ESG considerations to what’s actually important to the investment, understand how businesses make money, and understand what their value drivers are.”
For Katie, a start in traditional capital markets gave her the added nuances and knowledge needed to thrive in a sustainable investing role.
The importance of great mentors
A final important piece of the puzzle was a former manager of Katie’s, who was committed to fully supporting her desired career path. After helping Katie identify that sustainability was what she wanted to pursue, the manager gave her opportunities to build networks and work on projects that would enable her success in sustainable finance.
Eventually, Katie pursued a role that was more aligned with the vision and impact she hoped to create.
“I haven’t looked back since,” Katie says of her work and past experiences.
Currently, Katie enjoys her role in sustainable investing, where she works with investment teams and company management to measure and address sustainability issues to drive outcomes that the firm believes can improve financial performance and long-term value for investors of portfolio investments. Sustainable investing encompasses real-world systemic issues impacting business value, across climate, biodiversity, responsible AI/technology innovation, and more – she encourages anyone interested in the sustainability field to “build a foundation” and be curious about new experiences.
To connect with fellow alumni, join Ivey's LinkedIn Sustainability Community.
