At Ardian, we invest all of ourselves in building companies that last. | 2020 Activity Report
Inside Ardian
At Ardian, we invest all of ourselves in building companies that last. | 2020 Activity Report
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30 June 2021
Reading time: 6 minutes
In 2020, we managed and advised $110 billion of assets, investing across five specialist areas: Fund of Funds, Direct Funds, Infrastructure, Private Debt and Real Estate. Our goal is to build strong, resilient companies that will earn long-term returns for our investors and make a positive contribution to society.
A simple statement of purpose
The principles of responsible investment – and especially the positive impact our work can have on society – are fundamental to the way Ardian operates. During 2020, we extended our commitment to these principles by publi¬shing a simple statement of our corporate purpose: At Ardian, we invest all of ourselves in building companies that last. Although we began developing this statement of purpose before the pandemic struck, its relevance has been hugely reinforced by the events that followed.
One of our most important initiatives during 2020 was to draw up a bold, straightforward statement of our purpose as an organization: At Ardian, we invest all of ourselves in building companies that last. This is both a description of Ardian’s culture and a declaration of intent. In an era when the good faith of all organizations – especially in finance – is more open to question than ever, we must show leadership, commit publicly to put positive impact at the heart of our business and earn our license to operate.
Stories of Impact
Our vision of finance as a force for good. Ardian’s goal is to achieve excellent outcomes for our investors and stakeholders by building companies that create a positive social impact and actively address the climate challenge. The relationships we build throughout business and civil society are key to Ardian’s success. In this Activity Report, discover six podcasts from people who helped to shape our story in 2020.
#1 - A YEAR OF CALAMITY SHARPENS OUR SENSE OF PURPOSE
2020 was a year when Ardian’s resilience and the strength of our culture and values were tested as never before. Alongside many others the world over, we had to respond to the calamitous spread of the pandemic and play our part in the global effort to overcome the virus.
Listen to the podcast with Florian Stellwag, Chief Executive Officer of Saal Digital.
In our world, trust is the ultimate source of value - everything we do depends on it.
#2 - SUSTAINABLE BUSINESSES ARE THE COMPANIES OF THE FUTURE
Ardian’s goal is to build companies that last. This necessarily places sustainability at the heart of our approach and requires us to prepare them to meet consumers’ expectations, adapt to the climate transition and take responsibility for the social impacts of their activities.
Listen to the podcast with Anthony Francheterre, Chief Executive Officer of Solina.
We are no longer in the phase of raising awareness. The focus now is taking concrete action, demonstrating its impact and measuring the effects over time.
#3 - OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCELERATE THE TRANSITION TO CLEAN ENERGY
Shifting the global energy system from its dependency on fossil fuels to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 is one of the greatest challenges facing the world. The urgent need to plot a route toward carbon neutrality touches every area of our activities, from the investments we make to the way Ardian operates day to day.
Listen to the podcast with Martin Mugica, Chief Executive Officer of Skyline Renewables.
We see hydrogen as a critical enabler of the global energy transition. Estimates advocate it could meet about a third of total energy demand by 2050.
#4 - WHY INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY ARE CRUCIAL TO ARDIAN’S FUTURE
We see great benefits in becoming more inclusive and diverse. By recruiting talented people from a wider range of backgrounds we will develop a better understanding of the complexity of the world in which we operate and ultimately achieve better results.
Listen to the podcast with Amy Hepburn, Chief Executive Officer of Investor Leadership Network.
We increasingly think about the strength of our company in terms of inclusion and diversity. These are vital indicators of our capacity to understand the environment in which we operate.
#5 - THE FOUNDATION STRENGTHENS ITS SUPPORT FOR SOCIAL MOBILITY
The Ardian Foundation’s central aim has always been to increase social mobility by helping disadvantaged children and young people gain access to education, training and advice. Creating a chair in Education Policy and Social Mobility at the Paris School of Economics and increasing our focus on early childhood add new dimensions to our philanthropic approach.
Listen to the podcast with Julien Grenet, Co-head of the new research chair in Education Policy and Social Mobility at the Paris School of Economics.
We think that supporting early childhood programs will be a particularly effective way to promote social mobility and equal opportunities.
#6 - HOW INNOVATION IS TRANSFORMING THE INVESTOR EXPERIENCE
We have always worked hard to provide excellent service to our investors, but now our long-term investment in technology is enabling us to work smarter as well. The launch of Trustview Ardian, our digital investor portal, marks an important milestone for Ardian and will strengthen our traditional, personal service to LPs.
Listen to the podcast with Vincent Joly, Head of IT & Michaël Brouard, Director & Head of Technological Innovation at Ardian.
Trustview Ardian is an excellent example of how we are using digital technology to become more efficient and improve the service we deliver to our LPs.
Ardian in 2020
We are building a major private investment house. The strength of our organization and our collaborative culture guided Ardian through the crisis that started in 2020. These attributes will be critical for the next stage of our journey.
The unprecedented health crisis that erupted in March 2020 forced Ardian to react quickly and severely tested its resilience. Despite the many challenges, the company adapted to the changing circumstances, protected its staff and portfolio companies, and safeguarded the long-term interests of its LPs.
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+1,000
investors
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$11Bn
raised in 2020
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$8.7Bn
distributed to our investors in 2020
Focus on our Activities
At Ardian, business is all about people. Successful investments depend on the expertise of our people and their capacity to create strong, trusting partnerships with our clients, entrepreneurs and management teams.
Fund of Funds: Architect of the world’s largest deals
Angus: Ardian Buyout makes its first North American deal
CCC: Constant innovation makes CCC a trophy asset
ProduceShop: Growth team backs next-generation e-commerce player
Acousti Engineering: Engineering a management transition to reignite growth
Elsan: Ardian backs France’s top private health services group
Inwit: Ardian’s first telecoms transaction is essential to future economic growth
HG: Private Debt providers widen the funding options for sponsors
Sanofi: Quality comes first in the office of the future
Ardian Customized Solutions: How Fopen took its first steps in private markets
Discover more
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Inside Ardian
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Inside Ardian
