ACT FOR ANALYSIS

Corporate culture is central to building a stronger, more resilient investment industry. Past crises and scandals have shown the cost of poor governance and weak culture. It reveals the environment in which fund managers operate — how decisions are made and how client money is stewarded — and it has become a core pillar of due diligence.

For analysts, ACT provides structured non-financial information that makes culture measurable and comparable — filling a critical gap in analysis. It delivers insights often missed in financial data, helping to mitigate risks, strengthen analysis, and support better investment decisions.

WHO USES ACT

ACT is designed to be used across the entire investment supply chain. From analysts and asset owners to boards, advisers, and retail customers, each group can engage with ACT in a way that supports transparency, accountability, and better decision-making.

  • Compare managers, integrate culture into due diligence, monitor change over time, and embed cultural risk into investment models. Join the ACT Collective for resources and guidance to support your analysis.

  • Assess managers’ cultural practices, align investments with governance and ESG commitments, and ensure long-term stewardship of beneficiaries’ assets. Join the ACT Collective for resources that strengthen your oversight.

  • Hold managers accountable, understand how culture shapes decision-making, and meet fiduciary responsibilities. Download the ACT Investment Trust Toolkit and ask your asset manager for their reporting if they are a Signatory.

  • Evaluate funds consistently, evidence due diligence, and reassure clients that managers are transparent and accountable. Join the ACT Collective to access resources that support your role. The ACT Mark shows a company has completed full, independent reporting on culture.

  • See whether a firm is an ACT Signatory — increasing transparency and confidence that your money is managed responsibly. Look out for the ACT Mark and ask your asset manager if they are a Signatory.

WHY IT MATTERS

Crises and scandals show the cost of poor governance and culture.

Culture drives performance — shaping decision-making, innovation, and risk-taking.

It has become a standalone pillar of due diligence, alongside ESG.

ACT makes culture measurable, comparable, and transparent — helping analysts cut through greenwashing and understand how firms really operate.

ACCELERATING CHANGE VIA THE ACT COLLECTIVE

Join our network of fund investors and manager researchers driving the future of cultural due diligence.