Ollie Smith: When you're on a first date it's natural to want to find out about your companion's interests or hobbies.
"So what do you get up to when you're not at work?" you might tentatively ask.
At this point conversation inevitably turns to hobbies, or that trip to a far-flung land you've got planned in six months' time. A rarer answer might be: "sitting at home with a blanket and thinking about governance."
Now, a caveat. The dating manual doesn't exactly have this at the top of the list of great first date answers. But to be fair it doesn't say don't mention it either.
I'll level with you.
I find corporate governance – and pretty much all types of governance actually – fascinating. It's about boards and their bosses, it's about the balance sheet, it's about corporate social responsibility, supply chains, team management, media relations, and – whether things go badly or not – accountability.
Crucially, it's also about transparency. Perhaps my own partner is now wondering about that topic from the perspective of our own first date.
In any case, we highlight this because, as the third and final component of ESG, governance is often overlooked as a topic in its own right.
This week on Morningstar.co.uk, we'll be putting that right.
From explainers to stock performance, we'll look under the bonnet of governance to tell you why – regardless of your investing opinions, or your dating prowess – it's an integral part of investing in 2024.
Another Sprite?
