In line with the initiatives of other private capital associations, the Spanish Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (ASCRI) has taken a step forward to promote ESG policies through its managers and investees by setting up the ASCRI Diversity Club.

Open and collaborative in nature, it aims to promote diversity and encourage initiatives in this area in the venture capital sector and its wide range of investees, through various initiatives that will vary according to the needs and the context.

Diversity, parity, talent and gender equality will be the guiding principles of the initiatives developed by the ASCRI Diversity Club, with the aim for them to be strategic components in the transformation of companies according to ESG criteria, following in the wake of other initiatives such as the publishing of the Responsible Investment Guide for the Private Equity & Venture Capital Sector in Spain.

The ASCRI Diversity Club will be chaired by Elena Rico (Managing Partner at Impact Partners), and will be made up of Oriol Pinya (Founding Partner of Abac Capital) as vice chairman, María López (Managing Director & Partner at Boston Consulting Group), Silvia Bruno (Executive Director & Board member / Energy-Telecom Technology & Innovation at Red Eléctrica), Mercedes Storch (Head of International Relations at AXIS Participaciones Empresariales), José Zudaire (CEO of ASCRI) and Silvia Martín (Head of Communication at ASCRI).

Among its first actions, the Diversity Committee will draw up a study on diversity in the venture capital and private equity industry in Spain along with Atrevia, Boyden and ESADE. It will therefore be responsible for organising a quarterly networking event that will serve as a meeting point, and for the creation of its own page on LinkedIn to disseminate the initiatives developed.

At Suma Capital, as members of ASCRI and participants in the ASCRI Diversity Club round table,  we feel very proud to be able to help promote ESG in the sector, contributing the approach we apply both in our internal relations and in the investments we make.

We are convinced of the importance of diversity in the transformation of companies, which must increasingly align themselves with responsible investment criteria, be more aware of an ever-changing situation, and respond to the growing demand for responsibility and commitment from the business world.

See the video on the SCRI Diversity Club

Photo of the Club’s presentation event. From left to right: Silvia Bruno (Red Eléctrica), Pau Bermúdez (Suma Capital), Elena Rico (Impact Partners), José Zudaire (ASCRI), María López (Boston Consulting Group), Alberto Gómez (Adara Ventures) and Mercedes Storch (AXIS Participaciones Empresariales).