London Inc. September 2022 - 12

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WALK THE TALK
Twenty years ago, Johnny Fansher set out to make the case for responsible investing.
No longer niche, he continues to evolve his practice, putting purpose into action and
making finance a force for good
THE OUTRAGE WAS nearly universal last month when
long-time anchor Lisa LaFlamme announced she had been
cut loose, unceremoniously, by her CTV employers. Much
of the anger took the form of social media fist-shakes -
well-meaning but largely ineffectual reactions to a perceived
injustice.
When large institutions make
decisions, it's rare when public opinion
can alter their course, rarer still when
things can be set right, as judged by
that public. The challenge of harnessing
public opinion to affect change is
something Johnny Fansher has been
thinking about for most of his career.
In the mid-1990s, he worked at
innovative credit union Vancity, whose
Ethical Growth Fund was Canada's
first responsible mutual fund when
introduced in 1986. " Working at
VanCity changed me for the better, "
says Fansher, 55. " I saw the potential
of responsible investing. "
With a detour into the burgeoning
business software field for three years
- learning plenty about sales and the
needs of various businesses - he came
home from Vancouver for Christmas,
2000, and never went back. He's been a
fixture in the London community ever
since.
This year he is celebrating 20 years
working as one of Canada's leading
responsible investment specialists.
The promise of what he witnessed at
Vancity was the catalyst that sparked a
boiling cauldron of energy and passion
for the concept when he started his
solo firm in 2002.
For the first few years, he needed
all the passion he could muster; the
concept of investing ethically was new
to many. Even those excited by the idea
were hesitant to sacrifice returns just
to " do the right thing. "
Two years in, he joined the
Responsible Investment Association
12 | londonincmagazine.ca | SEPTEMBER 2022
(www.riacanada.ca), a fledgling organization with a mandate
to expand the concept beyond niche to mainstream.
Fansher is now a director with the organization. It has
grown substantially and is a respected voice in the Canadian
investment world. Its education event later this month for
Johnny Fansher
" I HAVE BEEN LEADING A RESPONSIBLE
INVESTMENT PARADE FOR THE LAST 20
YEARS. I'M THRILLED MORE PEOPLE ARE
DOING THIS NOW BECAUSE OUR WORLD
WILL LOOK DIFFERENT WHEN WE CALL
FOR CHANGE " -Johnny Fansher
http://www.riacanada.ca http://www.londonincmagazine.ca
London Inc. September 2022

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