“In a nutshell, responsAbility is a specialized asset management house – in today’s terminology, an impact asset manager – with a focus on emerging markets and on creating access to opportunities for people. ”
— Rochus Mommartz
Welcome back to the second part of the interview with Rochus Mommartz, the visionary CEO of responsAbility and a true impact warrior.
With his specialized impact asset management house, Rochus is on a mission to create accessible opportunities for all, focusing on sectors that touch on the core needs of underserved populations – sustainable agriculture, climate finance, and financial inclusion.
Today, responsAbility manages $5 billion in assets, directing its investments into the private markets of emerging economies where traditional financial services are either nonexistent or insufficient. Its portfolio covers more than 70 countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe.
In this episode, we dive deeper into responsAbility’s investment strategy, which channels over 95% of its assets into private debt and private equity.
In its mission, responsAbility prioritizes impactful outcomes. But achieving attractive financial returns remains equally important. With this dual focus, they meet investor expectations and continue to generate growth and positive impacts in the sectors they serve.
Join us as Rochus explains responsAbility’s investment process, the impact measurement techniques they employ, and the operational challenges they face in diverse and complex markets.
Tune in to learn more about how strategic private market investments can drive significant social and economic progress worldwide, while also delivering strong financial returns.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. You can watch the interview on YouTube here.
What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- Connect with Rochus: LinkedIn
- ResponsAbility LinkedIn page
- ResponsAbility website
SHOW NOTES:
[00:00] ResponsAbility – overview and mission
[06:02] Private market focus (debt and equity)
[11:47] 15+ thematic funds impacting 70+ countries
[18:12] M&G acquisition
[22:22] Investment process and criteria
[34:46] Three-layer approach: ESG assessment, impact assessment, technical assistance
[49:13] Tracking impact post-investment
[54:16] Decreasing impact as a success factor
[57:28] Managing risk when companies don’t achieve expected impact
[58:34] Correlation between impact and financial returns
[01:05:00] The risks in financial sector development
[01:14:01] Rapid fire questions
MORE ROCHUS MOMMARTZ QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW:
“Our success is when we aren’t needed anymore because we’ve built local systems that stand on their own. ”
— Rochus Mommartz
“Innovation is important, but in the impact space, achieving scale and getting things done faster is crucial. Innovation is exciting, but we don’t always need new ideas to be successful. Instead, we should focus more on replicating proven approaches, which is something the industry isn’t particularly strong at.”
— Rochus Mommartz
