GMO is an investment management firm founded in 1977 by Jeremy Grantham, Richard Mayo and Eyk Van Otterloo with an investment philosophy of conservative, value-orientation. Its first investment strategy was its US active strategy, which focuses on large and small cap stocks.

GMO is a privately owned company and investing on behalf of their clients is GMO’s sole focus. The company prides itself on this independence which they believe allows their investment teams to “bring the discipline and patience needed to maintain long-term views with conviction”.

GMO’s Co-founder Jeremy Grantham has written various articles on climate change and resource scarcity, and the firm runs a global listed equity climate change strategy. In describing the strategy the firm states “GMO’s Focused Equity team believes that climate change is having a dramatic impact on the world and significant investments are (and will be) needed to head off its effects. Using a disciplined, value-oriented approach, the Strategy seeks to invest in companies focused on mitigating the impacts of and adapting to the outcomes of climate change.”

More broadly,  GMO “believes environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors can have a meaningful impact on the long-term success of companies and countries. We incorporate them where we believe doing so will improve long-term, risk-adjusted investment returns and further our clients’ objectives.”

The company provides various disclosures on its policies and approach to responsible investment and stewardship here.

GMO’s mission statement is not provided on its current website, however the below appears as the company’s mission on its website up until 21 February 2019.

We see the firm’s mission as the following, in order of importance:

1. To deliver superior investment performance and advice to our clients.
2. To provide a collegial and productive work environment that embodies an affirmative set of work and personal values.
3. To manage the firm in an effective and coordinated way that achieves a level of profitability sufficient to achieve the firm’s mission.
4. To always put our clients’ interests before our own, and to provide our clients the best service possible consistent with achieving their investment goals.
5. To develop a broad array of superior investment products.
6. To grow as fast as is consistent with our ability to perform in a superior way as an investment and professional organization.
7. To enjoy our work.

Commercial organisation and private company with funding through revenue generated by asset-based and performance fees.