Sarah Cleveland is an independent investment consultant working in an unconventional role. In 2011 she founded Sarah Cleveland Consulting to further industry efforts to integrate sustainability principles into the investment process and has worked on research, strategy, and education projects. Since 2017 Sarah has been collaborating with Godeke Consulting on ESG/impact investment consultant searches for families and family foundations. Previously Sarah advised institutional investors on investment strategy, implementation and ongoing monitoring. As senior consultant with Towers Watson Investment Services as well as Rogerscasey, Sarah consulted with a broad spectrum of asset owners such as endowments, foundations, healthcare organizations, as well as corporate and public retirement plans.
Throughout her career, Sarah has developed a strong emphasis on sustainable investments. For example, she has collaborated on projects with the UN Environment Program Finance Initiative and the UN Global Reporting Initiative, and served as the North American liaison for Towers Watson’s sustainable investment team. In addition, Sarah has served as the Vice Chair and board member of US SIF: The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment, and currently serves as Board member and Chair, Investment & Audit Committee of The Russell Family Foundation.
As a well-regarded expert in the field, Sarah has presented on sustainable investment at numerous conferences including the Institutional Investor Endowment & Foundation Roundtable, SACRS (State Association of County Retirement Systems), Responsible Investor Americas, and the SRI Conference.
In addition to an M.S. in Agricultural and Resource Economics, Sarah earned a B.S. in Agricultural and Resource Economics, cum laude, both from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Other affiliations include memberships with US SIF: The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment, American Sustainable Business Network (previously Social Venture Circle), and the Intentional Endowments Network.