City Hive ACT signatories rise to 40

Signatories to the City Hive ACT have risen to 40, with firms representing £13trn in assets under management now signed up to the corporate culture framework.

Some 12 new firms have joined in the last year, with six asset managers joining since the publication of the last list in July 2025. The new signatories include Aberdeen Investments, Candriam, Comgest, Loomis Sayles, River Road and Royal London Asset Management.

ACT was launched in 2022, aiming to provide firms with a framework to assess and progress corporate culture in a standardised way.

See also: City Hive appoints Coombs and Wall to chair ACT councils

On the new signatories, Emma Wall (pictured), chief investment strategist at Hargreaves Lansdown and chair of the ACT Stewardship Council, said: “These firms are committed to transparency with their clients. They understand that strong corporate culture and embedded values are synonymous with generating alpha, retaining talent and supporting the foundations of their businesses. These firms have realised that profit and purpose are aligned.

“Fund selectors using the ACT framework report that the conversations they are having with asset managers over the last year have evolved significantly around the subject of culture – and not just firms that are ACT signatories. Increasingly, the industry is realising how not prioritising culture will impact their business.”

Hannah Rosley, Comgest investor relations, said: “Comgest’s broad-based partnership structure underpins a distinctive and diverse culture. It is dynamic and built on long-term thinking, trust, and collaboration. We are focused and committed to one objective – quality growth investing.

“Being a signatory to ACT demonstrates our commitment to providing transparent insights into our culture. We believe it is the intangible qualities of culture that drive long-term success. We look forward to continued engagement with investors.”

Fellow new signatory R. Andrew Beck, CEO at River Road Asset Management, added: “Our firm’s culture is central to everything we do. Becoming an ACT Signatory reflects our commitment to transparency, inclusivity, and continuous improvement, giving clients confidence that our values are reflected in how we operate.”

This article first appeared on Portfolio Adviser