Matt Filosa is a recognized leader and trusted advisor on governance and sustainability issues with over 20 years of experience from an investor, public company and academic perspective. His experience includes serving as Senior Managing Director at Teneo Consulting, Vice President & Director of Corporate Governance at MFS Investment Management and Associate Director of the Harvard Law School Program on Corporate Governance.
In his current role at Teneo, Matt advises executives and boards of directors on how institutional investors incorporate governance and sustainability issues into their investment and stewardship activities. He also provides companies with strategic insight into sustainability reporting, annual shareholder meetings, ratings & rankings, disclosure frameworks, shareholder engagement, corporate governance and activism defense. He is a founding member of the firm’s ESG Task Force and Diversity Council and manages the firm’s ESG Newsletter.
During his 13-year tenure at MFS Investment Management, Matt built and managed the firm’s first global governance and sustainability stewardship program for $500 billion in assets under management. Matt also managed the firm’s commitment to the Principles for Responsible Investment and was a founding member of the firm’s Responsible Investing Committee and ESG Working Group.
During his semester at the Harvard Law School Program on Corporate Governance, Matt managed the Harvard Law School Corporate Governance Forum – a thought leadership blog focused on governance and sustainability issues – and directed the Program’s events and sponsorship activities. He was also an active contributor to the Harvard Law School corporate governance curriculum.
Matt has been a guest lecturer on governance and sustainability at Harvard Law School, Boston University School of Law and Tufts University. He is a member of the Council of Institutional Investor’s Markets Advisory Council and was a founding member of the US Investor Stewardship Group. Matt also served on the Advisory Council at the Harvard Law School Program for Institutional Investors.
Matt contributed the corporate governance chapters of two publications: “The Fund Industry: How Your Money is Managed” (Robert C. Pozen and Theresa Hamacher, 2014), which is considered the main textbook on the mutual fund industry; and “Too Big To Save? How To Fix the US Financial System” (Robert C. Pozen, 2009).
Matt earned a B.A. from Tufts University and an M.B.A. from Boston University.
Related Insights
Stuck in the Middle with ESG: What Companies Can Expect in 2025 & Beyond
After a much-anticipated election cycle in the U.S., Republicans will take over the White House and control both chambers of Congress. This shift in power will significantly impact ESG initiatives. While it is too early to determine precisely what those impacts will be, we present our view of the most…
November 21, 2024 - By Martha Carter, Matt Filosa, Faten Alqaseer, Sean Quinn, Kensey Biggs, Sydney Carlock, Diana Lee, Rose James, Heidi Park
Stand by ESG? Our Annual State of U.S. Sustainability Reports
Introduction A lot has happened in the sustainability world since we published our State of 2023 U.S. Sustainability Reports one year ago. The long-awaited U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s climate disclosure rule was legally challenged and halted within a few months of it being finalized. Ironically, California…
September 11, 2024 - By Matt Filosa, Diana Lee, Adia Njie
Teneo U.S. ESG Roundup 8.29.24
This spotlight explores key ESG-related market developments and their implications for corporates and investors. ESG in the News BlackRock’s support for ESG shareholder proposals fell to 4.1% during the 2024 proxy season, dropping from 47% support in 2021. BlackRock cited the declining quality of the shareholder requests,…
August 29, 2024 - By Owen Farley, Matt Filosa
Seven Early Takeaways from the 2024 Proxy Season
With the 2024 US proxy season nearly in the rear-view mirror, a few key trends and takeaways have emerged. Amidst an uncertain regulatory and political landscape, investors have remained supportive of management on average, as indicated by the modest increase in average voting across management proposals. Concurrently, the number of…
June 28, 2024 - By Martha Carter, Matt Filosa, Sean Quinn, Sydney Carlock, Diana Lee
DEI in an Era of Unrest: A Few Truths and a Path Forward
Anti-diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) activity is not new, but it is intensifying, having been emboldened by the Supreme Court ruling on Affirmative Action in higher education and the divisive nature of current politics and policy. Corporations are navigating lawsuits, retraction letters, calls for EEOC investigations and…
March 4, 2024 - By Faten Alqaseer, Lisa R. Davis, Rose James, Kensey Biggs, Martha Carter, Matt Filosa
Teneo U.S. ESG Roundup 2.29.24
This spotlight explores key ESG-related market developments and their implications for corporates and investors. Teneo’s Governance and Sustainability team published a piece on “Three Key Consideration for Companies Heading into 2024 Proxy Season.” The piece highlights challenges for 2024 proxy season and shares considerations for companies to…
February 29, 2024 - By Owen Farley, Rose James, Matt Filosa, Faten Alqaseer
Three Key Considerations for Companies Heading into 2024 Proxy Season
The 2024 proxy season is expected to be a challenging period for companies to navigate. The upcoming U.S. presidential election has fueled further political divide on ESG topics, and that political divide continues to complicate the domestic landscape. Outside of the U.S., Europe and other markets continue to mandate company…
February 28, 2024 - By Martha Carter, Matt Filosa, Sean Quinn, Sydney Carlock, Diana Lee
Teneo U.S. ESG Roundup 2.15.24
This spotlight explores key ESG-related market developments and their implications for corporates and investors. ESG in the News The European Parliament and Council reached a provisional agreement on a proposal for regulation of ESG rating activities. The new rules would require ESG ratings providers to be authorized…
February 15, 2024 - By Owen Farley, Rose James, Matt Filosa, Faten Alqaseer
Teneo U.S. ESG Roundup 2.1.24
This spotlight explores key ESG-related market developments and their implications for corporates and investors. ESG in the News BlackRock’s Investment Stewardship team released updated 2024 proxy voting guidelines for U.S. securities summarizing the asset managers philosophy and approach to engagement and voting, as well as outlining governance…
February 1, 2024 - By Owen Farley, Rose James, Matt Filosa, Faten Alqaseer
Teneo U.S. ESG Roundup 1.18.24
This spotlight explores key ESG-related market developments and their implications for corporates and investors. ESG in the News The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures announced that 320 organizations from over 46 countries will start making nature-related disclosures, with some to begin with their annual corporate reporting in…
January 18, 2024 - By Owen Farley, Rose James, Matt Filosa, Faten Alqaseer
Teneo U.S. ESG Roundup 1.4.24
This spotlight explores key ESG-related market developments and their implications for corporates and investors. ESG in the News The European Parliament announced an agreement on its proposed negotiating mandate for the regulation of ESG ratings as the bloc aims to eliminate greenwashing and protect businesses and consumers.
January 5, 2024 - By Owen Farley, Rose James, Matt Filosa, Faten Alqaseer
Teneo ’23 & ESG Series: AI’s Impact on Sustainability Reports
This is the sixth and final report in Teneo’s ’23 & ESG Series. Other reports in the series include the top 10 takeaways and key statistics of 2023 U.S. sustainability reports, DE&I data within U.S. sustainability reports, a study of Australian…
December 20, 2023 - By Sparky Zivin, Jeffrey Sindone, Matt Filosa, Seán Earley, Diana Lee
Teneo U.S. ESG Roundup 12.14.23
This spotlight explores key ESG-related market developments and their implications for corporates and investors. ESG in the News The United Nations Climate Conference, COP28, concluded with a historic agreement to transition away from fossil fuels and rein in climate change. Representatives from nearly 200 countries agreed to…
December 14, 2023 - By Owen Farley, Rose James, Matt Filosa, Faten Alqaseer
Teneo U.S. ESG Roundup 11.30.23
This spotlight explores key ESG-related market developments and their implications for corporates and investors. ESG in the News State Street Global Advisors announced it will offer investors a new company board-aligned voting policy option to further expand investor choice. The Vote with Company Board Recommendation Policy provides…
November 30, 2023 - By Owen Farley, Rose James, Matt Filosa, Faten Alqaseer
Teneo U.S. ESG Roundup 11.16.23
This spotlight explores key ESG-related market developments and their implications for corporates and investors. ESG in the News The California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) announced its Sustainable Investment 2030 Strategy, which will more than double its climate-focused investments to $100B by 2030 and cut in half its portfolio’s…
November 16, 2023 - By Owen Farley, Rose James, Matt Filosa, Faten Alqaseer
Teneo U.S. ESG Roundup 11.3.23
This spotlight explores key ESG-related market developments and their implications for corporates and investors. Teneo published our annual study of proxy season trends, entitled: 2023 Proxy Season Review: Institutional Investor Expectations in a Divided World. In addition to covering recent proxy voting trends, the report looks at…
November 3, 2023 - By Owen Farley, Rose James, Matt Filosa, Faten Alqaseer
2023 Proxy Season Review: Institutional Investor Expectations in a Divided World
The 2023 proxy season reflected a post-pandemic “return to normal” with investors balancing increased focus on financial materiality with ESG considerations. Below are our top 11 takeaways from the 2023 proxy season. 1: Institutional investors go all-in on financial materiality. Walking a thin line in a divided world of ESG,…
October 27, 2023 - By Martha Carter, Matt Filosa, Sydney Carlock, Sean Quinn, Diana Lee, Rose James, Adia Njie
Teneo U.S. ESG Roundup 10.19.23
This spotlight explores key ESG-related market developments and their implications for corporates and investors. ESG in the News The SEC’s Division of Examinations released its 2024 examination priorities, designed to inform investors on the key topics the Division plans to focus on in the upcoming year. Notably, there was…
October 19, 2023 - By Owen Farley, Rose James, Matt Filosa, Faten Alqaseer
Teneo U.S. ESG Roundup 10.5.23
This spotlight explores key ESG-related market developments and their implications for corporates and investors. ESG in the News The Securities and Exchange Commission adopted amendments to the “Names Rule,” which modernize and enhance the rule. Current regulations require registered investment companies whose names suggest a focus on…
October 5, 2023 - By Matt Filosa, Faten Alqaseer, Owen Farley, Rose James
Teneo U.S. ESG Roundup 9.21.23
This spotlight explores key ESG-related market developments and their implications for corporates and investors. Teneo launched the first publication in our ESG thought leadership series titled ’23 & ESG: The DNA of 2023 U.S. Sustainability Reports. For the 3rd year in a row, we analyzed 250 sustainability…
September 21, 2023 - By Owen Farley, Rose James, Matt Filosa, Faten Alqaseer
Teneo ‘23 & ESG Series: The DNA of 2023 U.S. Sustainability Reports
Since we published our last study on U.S. sustainability reports 12 months ago, political attacks on ESG have escalated heading into the 2024 U.S. presidential campaign. As a result, companies are now facing critical questions on how to communicate their ESG strategies and initiatives, especially within…
September 15, 2023 - By Martha Carter, Matt Filosa, Sydney Carlock, Sean Quinn, Diana Lee
Teneo U.S. ESG Roundup 9.7.23
This spotlight explores key ESG-related market developments and their implications for corporates and investors. ESG in the News The Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC) – a group representing over 400 global institutional investors – and 36 members, mostly consisted of European asset managers, called on proxy advisor Institutional…
September 7, 2023 - By Matt Filosa, Faten Alqaseer, Owen Farley, Rose James
Thriving in the Social Issuesphere: Guidance for Corporate America
As corporations grapple with upheaval in policies and practices due to recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings, federal and state legislative initiatives, and the fallout from culture wars, it’s becoming clear that social issues engagement is gaining relevance on par with more traditional business imperatives. Determining what guides company stances and…
August 16, 2023 - By Lisa R. Davis, Rose James, Faten Alqaseer, Matt Filosa, Kensey Biggs, Sydney Carlock
Teneo U.S. ESG Roundup 8.10.23
This spotlight explores key ESG-related market developments and their implications for corporates and investors. ESG in the News The S&P Global Ratings system announced that it would no longer publish updated ESG credit indicators in its reports or update outstanding ESG credit indicators effective immediately. Following…
August 10, 2023 - By Matt Filosa, Faten Alqaseer, Owen Farley, Rose James
Teneo U.S. ESG Roundup 7.27.23
This spotlight explores key ESG-related market developments and their implications for corporates and investors. ESG in the News The SEC has finalized a wide-ranging cybersecurity-related disclosure rule, which will require publicly traded companies to disclose hacking incidents and establish, maintain and enforce written policies and procedures that are reasonably…
July 27, 2023 - By Matt Filosa, Faten Alqaseer, Owen Farley, Rose James
Teneo U.S. ESG Roundup 7.13.23
This spotlight explores key ESG-related market developments and their implications for corporates and investors. ESG in the News The International Sustainability Standards Board published its inaugural standards, launching a set of G-20 backed global rules that aim to curb greenwashing. The rules build upon the foundation…
July 13, 2023 - By Matt Filosa, Faten Alqaseer, Owen Farley, Rose James
Teneo U.S. ESG Roundup 6.22.23
This spotlight explores key ESG-related market developments and their implications for corporates and investors. ESG in the News The number of shareholder resolutions on ESG issues for the 2023 proxy season are on track to exceed 2022, though average support for ESG proposals has declined by 7.8% compared to…
June 22, 2023 - By Matt Filosa, Faten Alqaseer, Owen Farley
Teneo U.S. ESG Roundup 6.8.23
This spotlight explores key ESG-related market developments and their implications for corporates and investors. ESG in the News The Science Based Target Network (SBTN) has released the first science-based targets for nature, providing a framework for companies to holistically assess their environmental impacts. The new targets include guidance for…
June 8, 2023 - By Matt Filosa, Faten Alqaseer, Owen Farley
Teneo U.S. ESG Roundup 5.25.23
This spotlight explores key ESG-related market developments and their implications for corporates and investors. ESG in the News Broadridge published a paper on asset manager’s increased adoption of pass-through voting options. The report highlights the growing appetite in the industry for tailored processes to provide institutional and retail investors…
May 25, 2023 - By Matt Filosa, Faten Alqaseer, Owen Farley
Teneo U.S. ESG Roundup 5.11.23
This spotlight explores key ESG-related market developments and their implications for corporates and investors. ESG in the News On May 10, the Republican led House Committee on Oversight and Accountability held a hearing with state Attorneys General related to ESG investing. The hearing focused on Republican allegations that inclusion…
May 11, 2023 - By Matt Filosa, Faten Alqaseer, Owen Farley