System-Level Investing with Bill Burckart

In this episode, host Georges Dyer speaks with Bill Burckart, Co-Founder and CEO of The Investment Integration Project (TIIP) and co-author of 21st Century Investing: Redirecting Financial Strategies to Drive Systems Change. Bill explains the concept of system-level investing—a strategic approach that helps investors protect and shape the critical systems (like climate stability, fair labor markets, and democracy) that underpin long-term portfolio performance.

The conversation explores why modern portfolio theory is no longer sufficient in the face of systemic risks like climate change and inequality, and how fiduciaries can—and must—integrate systems thinking into investment strategies. Bill outlines practical tools and frameworks for implementation, including the CRIM test for identifying systemic issues and the SAIL platform for assessing institutional readiness. He highlights real-world examples from University Pension Plan Ontario, CalSTRS, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, showing strong financial performance alongside positive systemic impact.

Listeners will gain insight into how investors can move from managing exposure to reshaping it, why fiduciary duty supports system-level action, and how education, collaboration, and policy engagement can drive a more resilient financial system.

This episode is brought to you by Metis Global Partners.

Resources:

TIIP’s report on the Rockefeller Brothers fund: https://tiiproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/RBF-10-Year-Review-8.1.25_FINAL.pdf

21st Century Investing: Redirecting Financial Strategies to Drive Systems Change: https://a.co/d/jf5l5vb

Keywords: System-level investing, fiduciary duty, modern portfolio theory, sustainable finance, climate risk, institutional investors, The Investment Integration Project (TIIP), long-term investing, systems thinking, responsible investing