Tariq Fancy

Tariq Fancy has caused waves in the sustainable investment sector with his outspoken criticism of ESG, often referring to it as a dangerous placebo used for greenwashing by Wall Street. Turning the table on ESG, Tariq is regularly featured in notable publications, including Forbes, Capital Monitor, The Economist, Financial Times, The Guardian, and Fortune. He has also delivered a highly impactful TEDx Talk titled I‘ve Seen The Worst of Capitalism- Here’s How We Fix It. A thought-provoking speaker, Tariq addresses several contemporary topics in his presentations, including populism, economic uncertainty, sustainability, and Gen Z.

Educated at world-renowned institutions, Tariq holds a BA from Brown University, studied abroad for one year at Pembroke College, Oxford, and earned an MBA in Business Administration at INSEAD. He also completed a master’s in Economics and Public Policy at the Institut d’Etudes politiques de Paris. In the summer of 2000, he embarked on a coding summer internship at Merrill Lynch. After graduating from Brown University, he joined Credit Suisse First Boston as an Investment Banking Analyst before joining MHR Fund Management as a Principal, sourcing due diligence for investment opportunities at a $6 billion NYC- based private equity firm.

In 2010 he became a Senior Investment Professional at the CPP Investment Board, pioneering investment strategies for the Canada Pension Plan. Following that, he joined Wildfire as Board Member, Chief Restructuring Officer, spearheading the turnaround of the prominent international social media marketing company. In 2018 Tariq became BlackRock’s first Global Chief Investment Officer for Sustainable Investing. He is also known as the founder of The Rumie Initiative, a cutting-edge non-profit at the forefront of microlearning for smartphones. Used by millions of learners in over 200 countries, including Afghanistan, Tariq’s initiative has been taught as a case study at Harvard Business School.

A distinguished thought leader in ESG, Tariq has made headlines for challenging the status quo. His extended essay, The Secret Diary of a Sustainable Investor is acclaimed by industry leaders globally for its fresh, honest, and provocative take on ESG. Recognised for his sustainability and philanthropic contributions, he won Google’s National Impact Challenge and was named in Canada’s 40 Under 40. He has also appeared on CNBC and the UN to disseminate his ideas. An advocate for ESG reform, Tariq is a highly sought-after speaker.