Watch Merryn Somerset Webb’s speech at The Gloss Gala in association with Goodbody …
“The first thing about money is that if we don’t invest it properly or understand it properly, we can’t use it properly,” believes Merryn Somerset Webb, the keynote speaker at The Gloss Gala 2022. As the former editor-in-chief of Moneyweek and Financial Times columnist, Clonmel-born Merryn spoke on the topic of investing for impact. She welcomed the THE GLOSS x Goodbody Investment Club initiative acknowledging, “It’s a safe, low-risk place” to educate ourselves about investment options.
As one of the most well-respected and prominent voices in financial journalism, Merryn’s latest book Share Power focuses on how shareholders can leverage their influence for good. “If you want to change the world you have to understand how companies work,” Merryn explained, before highlighting that, “In a very short amount of time, a large amount of the wealth in this country will be held by women.”
To effect change, Merryn believes in the power of “making a fuss” and being an active, rather than passive, shareholder to influence how companies behave regarding social, ecological and personnel initiatives. “Write those letters, do that admin and do it before it’s too late,” she urged the audience. She also recommended choosing funds that reflect our values: “Wealth comes not just with responsibility, and the joy of having the calmness of wealth, but an ability to make things different, an ability to articulate your own values via your choices.”
Follow Merryn Somerset Webb @merrynsw on Twitter and watch her speeches below.