Before joining abrdn in 2011, Smith worked for advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) as head of Asia (ex-Japan) research. The Briton recalls memories of the Asian Financial Crisis, which had caused regional markets to tank, economies to shrink and banks to go under, were still fresh when he relocated here.
Asia is a fast follower in several things, and investing in environmental, social and governance (ESG) themes will be no exception, says David Smith, senior investment director, Asian equities at the UK-based investment firm abrdn.
“Asia has accelerated from the early-2000s and is now a leader in several areas,” says Smith in an interview with The Edge Singapore. He first based himself out of Singapore in 2006, when the context was “slightly different”. For one, investor engagement with corporations was relatively more nascent. “[Back then,] you would be the first person to have that conversation, but that has certainly changed a lot.”
