Adrian Wu
Managing Director
I have been passionate about identifying and investing in innovative technology disruptors throughout my professional career. At Inherent, I am grateful to be part of a team of exceptional individuals who want to drive this structural shift in sustainability and support corporations who share the same views. I personally aim to adopt this thinking towards investing in TMT and consumer companies, in both domestic and international markets. I believe that companies that are ESG compliant and aware are better positioned to succeed in an increasingly complex global political and economic environment. Away from work, I enjoy outdoor activities, travel, food and non-mainstream music (e.g., French rap and old school K/C-pop).
Key past roles:
- Jericho Capital, Senior Analyst
- Silver Lake Partners, Private Equity
- J.P. Morgan, Investment Banking
Social/charitable interests:
- Diversity and inclusion
- Equal education access
- Climate change
Education:
- McGill University, Honours BCOM
Brenda Pai
Managing Director
Decisions that corporations make – whether it’s how they treat employees, the chemicals they use in manufacturing, or waste disposal practices – have the potential to affect us all. At Inherent, I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to invest in companies that can become ESG leaders in their industries and/or companies whose primary mission is to make a positive impact on society. What’s more, understanding a company’s approach to ESG issues has proven invaluable in assessing company culture, a key component in Inherent’s investment process. I live in New York City with my husband and two daughters. I’m a black belt in Taekwon-do and am also a big fan of hot yoga, spinning, and photography.
Key past roles:
- Blackstone, Managing Director
- Ziff Brothers Investments, Director
Social/charitable interests:
- Women in the workplace
- Diversity and inclusion
Education:
Designation:
Chelsea Rossetti
Managing Director
Businesses and industries in transition have created some of the most exciting investment opportunities I’ve encountered in my career thus far. The social and environmental changes that companies face today are similarly creating compelling investable opportunities. And, I am excited every day to help further Inherent Group’s mission to impact how companies and investors incorporate sustainability.
At Inherent I spend my time focused on opportunities across the capital structure, where our ESG framework sets our underwriting apart. Outside of the office, I’m an adult gymnast and avid fan of the sport. When I’m not on a balance beam, I can be found having dumplings in Chinatown or at a Brooklyn Nets game.
Key past roles:
- Roystone Capital, Research Analyst
- Angelo Gordon, Distressed Associate
- Jefferies, Investment Banking Analyst
Social/charitable interests:
- Gender and racial equality
- Financial inclusion
Education:
- New York University, BS, Finance & Information Systems
Dan Carroll
Managing Director
I’ve always been curious about how things work, whether they be natural processes, machines, or organizations. My favorite part of investing is being introduced to new businesses and figuring out how they work. Once I get an idea of that, my most important question as an investor is: are they built to last? Integrating ESG considerations is a natural part of that analysis. I’m also a total accounting nerd, and love to get into the weeds of financial statements. I’m happily married with a recently arrived baby boy and live on the Upper East Side where, in my spare time, I enjoy watching terrible TV shows (as defined by my wife).
Key past roles:
- Tinicum Incorporated, Principal
- Merrill Lynch, Investment Banking Analyst
Social/charitable interests:
- Energy Transition
- Environmental Conservation
Education:
- Georgetown University, BS
Being part of the management team at Inherent Group feels like a reward for my efforts throughout my career to align what is good for business with my personal values. I believe the investing community has an important role in aligning the interests of businesses with solutions that it can provide to improve society. When done correctly, businesses thrive and shape a better future for the next generation. Everyone wins!
I am married with three daughters. We live in NYC and have several (translation: too many) pets. There is a long list of things I always plan on doing outside of work, but most often I can be found bringing people together around a meal.
Key past roles:
- Stone Lion L.P., Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer
- Bear Stearns, Senior Managing and COO of Credit Trading and Origination
Social/charitable interests:
- Partnership Schools (advisory board member of a K-8 school in the South Bronx)
- Girl Scouts (leader and coordinator of largest group in NYC)
Education:
- Pace University, MBA
- Pace University, BBA
Designations:
Fatima Martins
Executive Assistant
As an executive and personal assistant at Inherent, I’m excited to be part of a business with a positive impact on the environment and society. Curious and determined, I am able to do what I love most every day: constantly learning by working side by side with great minds. I am a fierce advocate for multiculturalism and diversity and I’ve had the opportunity to live in four different countries. I’ve just returned home to Lisbon after 10 fabulous years in Singapore where I found my calling for executive support. Out of the office, there’s nothing I love more than to spend time with my family, travel the world and sit at a big table surrounded by friends. Optimistic by nature, I always see the bright side of life, and every challenge pushes me beyond.
Key past roles:
- Servdebt CAM, EA
- Sonangol Asia Ltd, EA
- Barclays Bank PLC, Business Account Manager
- Axa Private, Private consultant
Education:
- University of Coimbra, BA
Social/charitable interests:
- Positive youth development and equality in education
- Equal access to mental health support
- Diversity and inclusion
Lucia Wang
Vice President
For me, the most engaging part of investing has always been picking apart and piecing together information to understand businesses. From shifting regulatory landscapes to competitive dynamics, there are many variables to evaluate in good underwriting, and in today’s ever changing world, sustainability is increasingly important to driving returns. At Inherent, I’m excited to leverage both business and ESG underwriting to pursue opportunities across the capital structure. Outside of the office, I love to travel and scuba dive, going off the beaten path to trade the concrete jungle for the natural jungle. Whether in NYC or elsewhere, I’ll always make some extra time to find great hole-in-the-wall eats.
Key past roles:
- Goldman Sachs, Special Situations Group
- Goldman Sachs, Investment Banking
Social/charitable interests:
- Climate change
- Education access
Education:
- Princeton University, BSE
Since seeing miles of wind farms generating clean power while on a trip to Germany in 2003, I have dedicated my career to helping business improve people’s lives and the environment. At Inherent Group, I focus on our energy- and water-related investments. I also run our firm's operations along with our CFO and work on ESG integration in our investment process. I live in Connecticut with my wife and two children, where I specialize in Uno, playing with dolls, and cooking chicken nuggets.
Key past roles:
- Cleantech Group, EVP
- Katzenbach Partners, Engagement Manager
Selected board memberships:
- Arbor Brothers (supports non-profits that fight the root causes of poverty)
- Inherent Foundation (focused on innovative finance for social enterprises)
- Catchafire (volunteer and capacity-building platform)
Education:
- Harvard Business School, MBA
- Yale College, BA
Nikhil Mirchandani
Portfolio Manager
I have been passionate about forecasting and investing in structural change throughout my adult life. Business models, industries, and even entire societies and political regimes in transition regularly present engaging analytical puzzles and compelling investment opportunities often absent from their more stable counterparts. Today, I think capitalism itself is in the middle of a massive, generational structural shift toward long-term orientation, demanding that businesses and societies broaden their concepts of stakeholders and focus on social and environmental sustainability. I’m thrilled to be part of Inherent Group, where our daily work is at the nexus of this structural shift toward sustainability. I focus personally on applying this thinking toward credit markets and international markets, and I believe quite strongly that traditional value investing and sustainability considerations can marry into a mutually supportive investment process in these areas. Both sides have a lot to contribute to the conversation, but they are all too often not even conversing!
Away from work, my passion is spending quality time with my wife and daughter. Together, we enjoy travel, food, outdoor sports, an increasingly diverse mix of music (spanning from Disney to 90s hip hop by way of R&B and electric blues guitar), and the company of our friends and families.
Key past roles:
- King Street Capital Management, Senior Research Analyst
- Goldman Sachs, Investment Banking
Selected social/charitable interests:
- National Association for Urban Debate Leagues, Governing Board Member
- Educational opportunity
- Healthy food
Education:
Being part of the asset management industry has afforded me the opportunity to learn and understand a variety of business models and investment structures. I enjoy supporting the investment and broader team from an accounting and operations lens. At Inherent Group, I feel fortunate to bring together my professional experience and interests to a team dedicated to ESG focus in their investment strategies. I am excited to align myself with such a mission-driven organization that can make a meaningful impact. I live on Long Island with my husband and our two sons. Outside the office, my interests are yoga & meditation, vegetarian food, being in nature and travelling.
Key past roles:
- Pershing Square Capital, Controller
- TPG Opportunities Partners, Fund Controller
- Ernst & Young, Senior Auditor
Social/charitable interests:
- Diversity & Inclusion
- Equal Educational Access
Education:
- University of Virginia, MAcc
- University of Georgia, BBA
Designations:
Rob Lasner
Head of Operations
When I was younger I was fascinated by how things worked and how many different parts would come together to accomplish a unified goal. I was given a book aptly titled “How Things Work” and would read through it often. Growing older, I was captivated by shows such as “How Things Are Made” and continued to let my curiosity lead me. Professionally, I see operations as an outlet to understand how investment vehicles work and, in turn, maximize their output. Outside of the office you can find me running through Central Park, binge-watching the latest movies and TV, or daydreaming about food.
Key past roles:
- Owl Creek Asset Management, Senior Operations Associate
- Ziff Brothers Investments, Operations
Social/charitable interests:
Education:
- University of Maryland, BS
Samantha Strachan
Associate, Compliance & Operations
One of my favorite things about compliance has been its ability to make use of my legal and regulatory interests while still being in the financial industry. It does it in a way that always leaves you with something new to learn. Inherent has allowed me to use my professional interests to support a team using an ESG lens to drive investments and make a difference. While I try to travel and explore as often as I can, I also find enjoyment in painting in my backyard with a Netflix series on in the background.
Social/charitable interests:
- Letters against Isolation
- Food education for kids
Education:
- Pace University, MBA
- Baruch College, BBA
I’m passionate about investing and giving back, and I feel so fortunate to be able to combine the two at Inherent Group. I believe business can and must lead on environmental and social issues. And I believe it’s good for business as well. At Inherent, I have the honor to lead a great team of people dedicated to investing for profit, with purpose. I sit on our investment committee and oversee our engagement activities. I’m married with two young kids who keep me plenty busy, but when I can I love to sneak away for nature sports: skiing, mountain biking, and kiting.
Key past roles:
- Anchorage Capital Group, Co-founder, President and Portfolio Manager
- Goldman Sachs, Portfolio Manager and Investment Banker
Selected board memberships:
- Achievement First (charter management organization closing the achievement gap)
- Orion Engineered Carbons (NYSE: OEC)
- Ceres (a climate NGO)
- Inherent Foundation (focused on innovative finance for social enterprises)
Education:
- Wharton Business School, MBA
- The Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, MA
- Brigham Young University, BS
Willa Wang
Vice President
My favorite part of investing has always been understanding what a business does today and thinking creatively about what it has the potential to do in the future. Core to understanding a business’s potential is understanding how it addresses the social, environmental and economic challenges we face. I am thrilled to be part of Inherent Group where I have the opportunity to invest in companies that are addressing these complex issues with multifaceted solutions. Building relationships is very important to me so outside the office I am usually with friends and family exploring the best that New York has to offer.
Key past roles:
- Veritas Capital, Associate
- Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Investment Banking Analyst
Social/charitable interests:
- Minds Matter New York Chapter
Education:
Advisory Council*
Alessandro Tomé
Strategic advisor to InvestIndustrial and European family offices
Alessandro Tomé is Vice Chairman of the British style-setting interiors brand OKA in his role as Industrial Advisor with InvestIndustrial, a leading family-controlled European PE firm active in sectors including consumer, hospitality, and design, whose notable assets include Aston-Martin. He is also Strategic Advisor to a large Italian family investment vehicle with emphasis on strategic PE investments and partnerships. He is a Strategic Advisor to the cyber security- and cloud-focused investor C5 Capital and a mentor for its PeaceTech Accelerator in Washington, DC. He is an investor in EatWith, the leading experiential dining platform, as well as FrugalPac, maker of recyclable coffee cups, cartons and bottles currently launching in the UK. Alessandro was previously a Senior Advisor for Canaccord Genuity and spent fifteen years with third-party alternative investment distribution firm, Anchor Asset Management.
George Serafeim
Professor, Harvard Business School
Course: Reimagining Capitalism
George Serafeim is a Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. He has taught courses in the MBA, executive education and doctoral programs, and is currently teaching the elective course “Reimagining Capitalism: Business and Big Problems” in the MBA curriculum, which received the Ideas Worth Teaching Award from the Aspen Institute and the Grand Page Prize. He has presented his research in over 60 countries around the world and ranks among the top 20 most popular authors out of over 12,000 business authors on the Social Science Research Network.
Mali Locke
Managing Director, Inherent Foundation
Former Director of Development, City Fund
Mali Locke is the sole Managing Director of Inherent Foundation. Most recently, she was the founding Director of Development at the City Fund, a national philanthropy focused on education reform. Mali has held multiple senior roles in philanthropy including as Director of the Milken Institute Center for Strategic Philanthropy, where she led the center’s design thinking and workforce development in higher education initiative. She started and led the development team at CityBridge Education, focusing on large institutional gifts. Previously, Mali was the Director of the Maverick Capital Foundation at Maverick Capital in New York City. She started her career in philanthropy at the Robin Hood Foundation, where she was a Senior Program Officer on the education team. She has a BA in French Literature from Yale University and an MS in Organization Change Management from the Milano School of Policy, Management, and Environment at the New School University.
Matt Christensen
Global Head of Sustainable & Impact Investing, Allianz Global Investors*
Former Global Head of Responsible Investment for AXA IM
Matt is Global Head of Sustainable & Impact Investing at Allianz Global Investors. Previously he was Global Head of Responsible Investment for AXA IM, where he directed the impact investing program as well as the integration of ESG criteria across asset classes. Prior to that he was a member of the European Commission's coordination committee on sustainability policy and legislation in the EU. He was the Founding Executive Director of Eurosif, the leading European responsible investment think tank. Prior roles include Business Development Director at Motley Fool and Strategy Consultant at Braxton Associates and Deloitte Consulting. Matt has held board positions with impact funds in the alternatives arena, including a listed private equity fund on the London Stock Exchange and as Vice President of a microfinance fund. Matt holds an MBA and an MA in international political economy from the University of Pennsylvania – Wharton.
Mike Hayes
Chief Digital Transformation Officer, VMware
Former Commanding Officer, SEAL Team TWO
Mike Hayes is Senior Vice President and Head of Strategic Operations at Cognizant Technology, a global IT services firm. Previously he served in Chief of Staff and COO roles at Bridgewater Associates. Before entering the private sector, he was a Navy SEAL Officer, eventually serving as the Commanding Officer of SEAL Team TWO. He was a White House Fellow and Director, Defense Policy and Strategy at the National Security Council in both the George W. Bush and Obama administrations. He is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a frequent speaker on building high-performance organizations.
Tensie Whelan
Director, NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business
Former President, Rainforest Alliance
Tensie Whelan is a Clinical Professor of Business and Society at New York University Stern School of Business. She leads the school’s efforts on business and sustainability, driving research and coursework on societal and natural resource-based challenges including climate change, water scarcity, biodiversity loss, poverty and unsustainable development. She founded and leads Stern’s Center for Sustainable Business, whose mission is to ensure that current and future business leaders develop the knowledge and skills to embed sustainability in core business strategy so they can reduce risk; create competitive advantage; and develop innovative services, products, and processes; while building value for society.
* Advisory Council members (a) serve in their personal capacity and not as representatives of the organizations listed and (b) may be eligible for compensation from Inherent. No representation is made that any advisor endorses Inherent for any purpose.
