Geeta Aiyer | |
---|---|
Born | 1958 |
Education | |
Known for | Founder and President of Boston Common Asset Management |
Geeta Aiyer is an Indian entrepreneur, business leader, and social activist, best known as founder and president of Boston Common Asset Management, a sustainable investment firm.
Aiyer was born in Chennai, India in 1958. [1]
Aiyer moved to America in 1983 to attend Harvard Business School. [2] She was the second Indian woman to attend to attend the school and graduated with an MBA in finance in 1985. [3] Aiyer also has a BA with honors as well as an MA degree from Delhi University, India. [4]
After graduating from Harvard, Aiyer started with Cambridge Associates as a consultant. She also founded the company East India Spice, her first entrepreneurial venture. [2]
In 1988, Aiyer became an analyst and portfolio manager at the United States Trust Company of Boston. She advised executives of the Albertsons supermarket chain after they had lost a $108 million lawsuit over denying female employees advancement opportunities. Aiyer "demonstrated to Albertsons that unfair employment practices were a financial liability", resulting in the company making a commitment to gender equity moving forward. [5]
In 1994, Aiyer founded Walden Capital Management, using the revenues made from running her first company. Aiyer cites pursuing "dual goals of financial return and social change on behalf her clients" as a driving principal behind establishing a firm focused on responsible investment. [1] [6]
From 1998 to 2002, Aiyer was president of Walden Asset Management. [1]
In 2003, Aiyer founded Boston Common Asset Management as an employee-owned sustainable investment firm. [7] Aiyer has served as its president since 2003, overseeing $5 billion in assets under management. Boston Common is known for practicing ethical investing, making investments in line with environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) goals. [2] [8]
Boston Common joined a group of other impact investors to pressure the Washington Redskins to change the name of their football team due to racial concerns over their name, a campaign that ran over the course of 12 years. The team complied in 2020 after the police killing of George Floyd. Aiyer remarked: "There comes a tipping point when, after a company has been fighting you, they suddenly let go because it becomes obvious to them that it’s not worth continuing the fight." [1] [5]
Aiyer founded the nonprofit organization Direct Action for Women Now (DAWN), which advocates for victims of gender based violence in India. [3] [4]
Geeta Aiyer | |
---|---|
Born | 1958 |
Education | |
Known for | Founder and President of Boston Common Asset Management |
Geeta Aiyer is an Indian entrepreneur, business leader, and social activist, best known as founder and president of Boston Common Asset Management, a sustainable investment firm.
Aiyer was born in Chennai, India in 1958. [1]
Aiyer moved to America in 1983 to attend Harvard Business School. [2] She was the second Indian woman to attend to attend the school and graduated with an MBA in finance in 1985. [3] Aiyer also has a BA with honors as well as an MA degree from Delhi University, India. [4]
After graduating from Harvard, Aiyer started with Cambridge Associates as a consultant. She also founded the company East India Spice, her first entrepreneurial venture. [2]
In 1988, Aiyer became an analyst and portfolio manager at the United States Trust Company of Boston. She advised executives of the Albertsons supermarket chain after they had lost a $108 million lawsuit over denying female employees advancement opportunities. Aiyer "demonstrated to Albertsons that unfair employment practices were a financial liability", resulting in the company making a commitment to gender equity moving forward. [5]
In 1994, Aiyer founded Walden Capital Management, using the revenues made from running her first company. Aiyer cites pursuing "dual goals of financial return and social change on behalf her clients" as a driving principal behind establishing a firm focused on responsible investment. [1] [6]
From 1998 to 2002, Aiyer was president of Walden Asset Management. [1]
In 2003, Aiyer founded Boston Common Asset Management as an employee-owned sustainable investment firm. [7] Aiyer has served as its president since 2003, overseeing $5 billion in assets under management. Boston Common is known for practicing ethical investing, making investments in line with environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) goals. [2] [8]
Boston Common joined a group of other impact investors to pressure the Washington Redskins to change the name of their football team due to racial concerns over their name, a campaign that ran over the course of 12 years. The team complied in 2020 after the police killing of George Floyd. Aiyer remarked: "There comes a tipping point when, after a company has been fighting you, they suddenly let go because it becomes obvious to them that it’s not worth continuing the fight." [1] [5]
Aiyer founded the nonprofit organization Direct Action for Women Now (DAWN), which advocates for victims of gender based violence in India. [3] [4]