Geeta Aiyer
Born1958
Chennai, India
Education
Known forFounder and President of Boston Common Asset Management

Geeta Aiyer is an Indian entrepreneur, business leader, and social activist, best known as founder and president of Boston Common Asset Management, a sustainable investment firm.

Early life and education

Aiyer was born in Chennai, India in 1958.[1]

Aiyer moved to America in 1983 to attend Harvard Business School.[2] She was the second Indian woman to attend to attend the school and graduated with an MBA in finance in 1985.[3] Aiyer also has a BA with honors as well as an MA degree from Delhi University, India.[4]

Career

After graduating from Harvard, Aiyer started with Cambridge Associates as a consultant. She also founded the company East India Spice, her first entrepreneurial venture.[2]

In 1988, Aiyer became an analyst and portfolio manager at the United States Trust Company of Boston. She advised executives of the Albertsons supermarket chain after they had lost a $108 million lawsuit over denying female employees advancement opportunities. Aiyer "demonstrated to Albertsons that unfair employment practices were a financial liability", resulting in the company making a commitment to gender equity moving forward.[5]

In 1994, Aiyer founded Walden Capital Management, using the revenues made from running her first company. Aiyer cites pursuing "dual goals of financial return and social change on behalf her clients" as a driving principal behind establishing a firm focused on responsible investment.[1][6]

From 1998 to 2002, Aiyer was president of Walden Asset Management.[1]

In 2003, Aiyer founded Boston Common Asset Management as an employee-owned sustainable investment firm.[7] Aiyer has served as its president since 2003, overseeing $5 billion in assets under management. Boston Common is known for practicing ethical investing, making investments in line with environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) goals.[2][8]

Boston Common joined a group of other impact investors to pressure the Washington Redskins to change the name of their football team due to racial concerns over their name, a campaign that ran over the course of 12 years. The team complied in 2020 after the police killing of George Floyd. Aiyer remarked: "There comes a tipping point when, after a company has been fighting you, they suddenly let go because it becomes obvious to them that it’s not worth continuing the fight."[1][5]

Activism

Aiyer founded the nonprofit organization Direct Action for Women Now (DAWN), which advocates for victims of gender based violence in India.[3][4]

Awards and honors

  • In 2010, Aiyer was awarded the Highest Leaf Award by the Women's Venture Fund[4]
  • In 2014, India New England named her Woman of the Year[3]
  • In 2020, Aiyer was inducted into YW Boston's Academy of Women Achievers, honoring her dedication to "eliminating racism and empowering women"[9]
  • In 2021, Aiyer was named to the Boston Business Journal's 2021 Power 50: The Movement Makers for being a "pioneer in impact investing"[10]
  • In 2023, Aiyer was included by Time into the first TIME100 Climate list, recognizing the 100 most innovative leaders driving business climate action[8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Riding, Siobhan (29 August 2020). "Chief of female-led boutique on the ESG 'tipping point'". Financial Times. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Murningham, Marcy (10 September 2015). "Geeta Aiyer: A life of integrity". Bay State Banner. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 "In Chai With Manju, Woman of the Year 2014 Geeta Aiyer Talks About Her Selection for IAS, Second Indian Woman to Go to Harvard Business School and Entrepreneurial Journey". IndiaNewEngland.com. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 "Geeta Aiyer". InternationalEndowments.org. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Holding Business to Account". Harvard Business School. 29 January 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  6. ↑ Blahnik, Mike (8 April 2000). "'Socially responsible' mutual fund branches into international investing". Star Tribune. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  7. ↑ "Geeta Aiyer". Forbes. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  8. 1 2 "Geeta Aiyer: President and founder, Boston Common Asset Management". Time. 16 November 2023. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  9. ↑ "Meet Geeta Aiyer, 2020 Academy of Women Achievers Awardee". YWBoston.org. 26 June 2020. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  10. ↑ Jones, Carolyn M. (18 November 2021). "Meet the 2021 honorees of the BBJ's Power 50: The Movement Makers". American City Business Journals. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
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