Financial Advisor contributor Paul Ellis recently interviewed John Streur, CEO of Calvert Research and Management, to discuss Eaton Vance’s acquisition of the business assets of Calvert Investment Management, a recognized leader in sustainable investing.

When Thomas E. Faust, Jr., chairman and CEO of Eaton Vance, announced plans to acquire the business assets of Calvert Investment Management last October, the opinions of some sustainable investment industry veterans about John Streur’s two-year tenure as CEO at Calvert were turned on their heads.

The sweeping changes Streur had made related to personnel and the delivery of the firm’s ESG-based portfolios came into clear focus, and Calvert Research and Management was on its way to becoming Eaton Vance’s responsible investment manager. 

Ellis: John, what does Eaton Vance’s decision mean for Calvert’s existing relationships with financial advisors throughout the industry?

Streur: What it means for Calvert is just as important as what it means to our financial advisor partners. Calvert can now take advantage of the significant infrastructure Eaton Vance has in place to provide client service, distribution and marketing, as well as enhance investment management.

For advisors, this means better service, more frequent contact, and benefits over time to Calvert’s investment strategies from the depth of investment management capabilities that Eaton Vance brings to the table across equities and fixed income, in the United States and globally.

Ellis: Do you anticipate changes in your advisor relationships on broker-dealer platforms or with RIAs based on the name change to Calvert Research and Management?

Streur: During the last two years we have been focusing on value-added research related to sustainable investing. We have created indexing portfolios in addition to our actively managed portfolios. The name Calvert Research and Management takes into consideration that Calvert has been a leader in moving ESG metrics and analysis forward quite significantly. We intend to continue to innovate and grow that part of our business aggressively.

In terms of what this means to financial advisors on a go-forward basis, Calvert will increase access to value-added materials which feature the integration of ESG research within the investment management process.

Additionally, our ability to provide coverage of the marketplace will be greatly improved by Eaton Vance Distributors, which will be the main distributor for the Calvert Funds. Advisors who do business with Calvert will have access to Eaton Vance’s considerable network of relationships and established presence in areas including defined contribution, institutional and global markets. Calvert Research and Management will continue and expand our research efforts that have been so helpful to our products over the past couple of years.

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