The recommendations of Laure Wessemius-Chibrac
This text was originally written in Dutch. This is an English translation.
Laure Wessemius-Chibrac has been committed to developing the ecosystem for impact investing for many years and is Managing Director of NAB impact investing, the trade association for impact investors in the Netherlands. Prior to that, she was Head of Investments at Cordaid, an international NGO and impact investor, and an investment banker at BNP Paribas and ABN AMRO Rothschild.
What lessons have you learned in your career so far?
'I have enjoyed working in the financial sector for 30 years, but my perspective took on a new dimension when our son was born. I realised that finance is not just about numbers and returns, but should also be a force for good. I want to build a future-proof economy: from short-term profit to long-term value creation, a future that is both financially and socially sustainable. That is why I became an impact investor and am working with great conviction to strengthen the Dutch impact ecosystem.'
What reading, listening or viewing tips do you have for our readers and why?
'The videos with Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Coleman on the MMMM website clearly link money to a (non-)sustainable future. In addition, the first episode of Sander Schimmelpenninck and Sandra Phlippen's podcast on the global economy ties in nicely with our work at the NAB. Finally, I find Christina Dalcher's “Vox” to be the most oppressive fiction I have read in a long time and a reminder of how vulnerable women's rights can be under conservative regimes.'