Lila Preston, Head of Growth Equity at Generation Investment Management

In this episode of Her Way Climate, we interview Lila Preston, Head of Growth Equity at Generation Investment Management, a Sustainable Management firm co-founded by Al Gore and David Blood. Lila shares her unconventional career trajectory from grassroots conservation work in Chile to leading sustainable investments. She explains Generation’s philosophy of integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors into traditional investment processes to achieve long-term financial returns. Preston discusses how the firm measures sustainability impact through KPIs, addresses the challenges of greenwashing, and emphasizes the importance of holistic, long-term investment strategies. We end the episode by discussing the rapidly changing political climate and she shares her projections for promising spaces in sustainability.

00:06 Introducing Lila and Generation Investment Management

02:06 Lila’s Career Journey: From Grassroots to Corporate

04:41 Generation’s Philosophy on Sustainability and Financial Value

07:17 Tracking Sustainability KPIs and Measuring Impact

12:36 The Evolution of Sustainable Investing

15:04 Addressing Political Challenges and Carbon Pricing

18:30 Preventing Greenwashing and Promoting Genuine Sustainability

20:51 Exciting Areas in Sustainability and Advice for Young Listeners

24:19 Conclusion and Farewell

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