Lauren Taylor Wolfe is co-founder and Managing Partner of Impactive Capital, an activist hedge fund that engages with companies to drive long-term sustainable returns. Impactive employs a breadth of tools common to activist strategies, working with management teams on capital allocation, operational initiatives and capital structure, and adds material ESG improvements as a key component of the long-term future success of its portfolio companies.

Our conversation covers Lauren’s early interest in investing, her path to founding Impactive, and investment philosophy. We touch on Impactive’s four key investment criteria, examples of ESG activism in a hotel, an auto dealer, and a waste water business, evolution of interest in sustainability from management teams, the value of long duration capital, and perspectives for women in the industry.