A PEOPLE-CENTERED, SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE INVESTOR
purpose
SOFIOUEST furthers the positive influence of the
SIPA OUEST-FRANCE Group through people-centered,
socially responsible investment
Manifesto
Because we are an investment company originally affiliated with the French Association for the Support of the Principles of Humanist Democracy, we support the driving forces that help to build a society based on sincerity, respect, responsibility and mutual support.
Because we believe that entrepreneurs have the power to transform the world, we stand alongside those who encourage personal fulfilment, social cohesion and the preservation of the planet.
Because we consider ourselves responsible for future generations, we believe that a sustainable approach creates value for all and furthers our financial profitability.
Because we demand compassion and respect for women, men and their projects, we are able to take a long-term view of our actions.
Because we are convinced that successful investment and personal invest go hand-in-hand, we provide both human and financial support to the entrepreneurs who place their trust in us. We foster exchange and close ties between the members of our ecosystem.
Because a diversified portfolio allows us to combine ambition and caution, we invest in technological innovation, growth capital and real estate, either directly or through investment funds.
Because our main shareholder’s independence and resilience are important for freedom of the press, we owe it to ourselves to succeed.
You can also download the text of our Manifesto by clicking here
Values
On a daily basis, SOFIOUEST promotes and implements sincerity, respect, responsibility and mutual support in its investment activities.
RESPECTFUL
Being a committed investor alongside entrepreneurs while respecting their plans, their personality and their individual strategy.
RESPONSIBLE
More than anything else, being responsible means accepting all the consequences of our work as investors. Beyond the profitability of the funds invested, it means taking into account non-financial performance indicators, and promoting this sense of responsibility throughout our ecosystem.
supportive
Supporting and caring about companies in good times and bad. Facilitating the sharing and pooling of solutions within our ecosystem to become more effective and efficient.
sincere
Committing ourselves with sincerity: a line of conduct that runs through all our relationships. Beyond the rhetoric, our approach involves aligning our positions, decisions and actions with our values.
SOFIOUEST'S SHAREHOLDERS ARE :
SIPA (50.20%)
(16.62%)
(33.18%)
An ESG approach…
We believe that certain practices are essential when it comes to ESG. These practices involve shared reflections with the companies in our portfolio. They include:
- Ethical and responsible use of digital resources, especially with regard to the environment
- Promoting employment and training
- Adopting “open” managerial practices that foster employee well-being and autonomy
- Promoting gender parity and diversity in all its forms
- Good governance
- Sharing value created
We track certain key indicators regarding these priorities and such issues as: job creation, healthy labor relations, carbon footprint, gender balance on boards, in management and among staff, and initiatives taken to share economic value, among other things. Through these issues, both present and future, Sofiouest specifically strives to contribute to five of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Gender Equality (#5), Economic Growth and Decent Work (#8), Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (#9), Sustainable Cities and Communities (#11), Responsible Consumption and Production (#12), and Climate Action (#13) These commitments are reflected in our investment process and our governance.
THROUGHOUT THE INVESTMENT PROCESS
SOFIOUEST integrates its ESG approach into the entire investment process:
• Compliance with SOFIOUEST's list of exclusions
• Pre-investment committee ESG screening
(for business investments)
• Selection of a buyer willing to pursue ESG commitments made
and legal documentation
• Definition of a "Humanist Enterprise" roadmap with senior managers
• Inclusion of an ESG clause in legal documents
• Collection of ESG indicators and annual rating of the ESG performance of companies and the portfolio
• Benchmarking of this ESG performance against a panel of peers to identify ESG strengths and areas for improvement
• Annual report on the progress of "Humanist Enterprise" action plans
• Coordination of the Human & Capital network: annual webinars/meetings on topics in which ESG issues are central
GUIDED AND EVALUATED BY A DEDICATED COMMITTEE
In 2020, an ESG Steering Committee was set up, comprising five SOFIOUEST representatives and two ESG experts. It meets quarterly and makes recommendations to the SOFIOUEST Board of Directors.