The Four Gardens Podcast returns after a long hiatus with an interview of Johann Klaassen, the CEO and CIO of Horizons Sustainable Financial Services. I am thrilled to be working at Horizons as an investment advisor representative. One reason I enjoy my work so much is that I get to collaborate with Johann and learn from him every day.
In our conversation, Johann explains what we mean by Socially Responsible Impact (SRI) investing, how we practice it at Horizons, and common misconceptions about this approach to investing. We discuss the ongoing intergenerational wealth transfer occurring. Johann shares about his background and how his study of philosophy shapes his approach to investing and working with clients.
Links: https://horizonssfs.com/expanding-horizons-jake-ifshin/
KLD 400: https://www.msci.com/documents/10199/255599/msci-kld-400-social-index.pdf
The Deep Impact Investing Podcast: https://horizonssfs.com/our-podcast/
Johann's Bio
Johann A. Klaassen, PhD, is CEO and Chief Investment Officer for Horizons Sustainable Financial Services, where he develops asset allocation strategies and oversees investment policy for Horizons’ individual and institutional clients. As a passionate advocate for SRI, a skilled navigator of its intricacies, and an enthusiastic early adopter of just about every new communication tool and technology, Johann is informed, informative, and far more accessible than his many commitments might imply. He directly serves clients across the nation, tending to specialize in serving unusual and special circumstances or needs.
Johann is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional. He was among the first in the nation to embrace the now-standard certification of Accredited Investment Fiduciary™ and holds the 70th such accreditation ever issued. He holds a B.A. from St. John’s College, Annapolis/Santa Fe, and Masters and PhD degrees from the Philosophy Department of Washington University, St. Louis, where he specialized in Ethics and Social Philosophy. He served on the faculties of Washington University, Webster University, Millikin University, the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, the University of Central Arkansas, and the University of Idaho. He has published and lectured on many topics, including areas of environmental ethics, business ethics, and social bias in finance.
The content of this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only, and is not intended to be a substitute for personalized professional investing advice. Only you and your financial advisor can determine what the right investments are for you. Jake Ifshin is an Investment Advisor Representative of Horizons Sustainable Financial Services, Inc., an SEC-registered investment advisor. The information covered and posted represents the views and opinions of the host and or guest and does not necessarily represent the views and opinions of Horizons. Horizons Sustainable Financial Service’s financial professionals do not render tax, accounting, or legal advice. Full disclosures are available at the Disclosures and Disclaimers link located at the bottom of the Horizons website at https://horizonssfs.com.
Full disclosures are available at: https://horizonssfs.com/about-horizons/disclosures-and-disclaimers/
Correction: I mistakenly referred to Aaron Garza as the current Chief Compliance Officer. Although there are plans to make that official in 2025, on the date of the posting he did not hold that title. Because that's what he does, it was in fact Mr. Garza who made sure I corrected this to make sure everything was in compliance with applicable rules and regulations.
