White Oak Global Advisors, LLC announced 21 of its professionals completed the PRI Academy’s Fundamentals of Responsible Investing (RI) course to strengthen each individual’s understanding of environmental conservation, social responsibility and good governance (ESG) investing. The training program speaks to White Oak’s continuing commitment to enhance its overall investment process while providing investors with ESG-responsible credit investments.

Since its founding, White Oak has originated over $6 billion in direct lending opportunities, two-thirds of which have been directed toward ESG and impact-oriented investments in the U.S. middle market. As one of its cornerstone principles, the Company seeks to finance good businesses that can make the world a better place today and for generations to come. White Oak believes that sustainability risks are tantamount to financial risks, and that companies with sustainability-oriented operations and practices are likely to grow more valuable and deliver attractive financial returns over time.

“We believe ESG is a critical function within the risk management process, and we are committed to ongoing and relevant education to ensure we deliver the best solutions for our borrowers and clients,” said Terésa Cutter, Managing Director and Head of ESG & Impact at White Oak. “The White Oak professionals who completed the PRI Academy course continue to enhance their understanding of the current issues and best practices when assessing business risks from an ESG perspective, which not only helps us to avoid issues like downside, litigation, and headline risk, but also enables us to customize loans so that borrowers are able to make decisions that benefit both their bottom lines and the communities around them.”

The Fundamentals in RI course focuses on identifying and incorporating ESG factors into investment decision making, as well as assessing how ESG issues impact company performance and shareholder value. The course explores key principles of responsible investing using real-life case studies to illustrate the materiality of ESG issues in business, introducing strategies for identifying and managing new approaches to ESG risk and identifying methods for integrating sustainability data into financial modeling. The PRI Academy is recognized as an international gold standard for ESG training and education.