As chief investment officer for Builders Vision, Noelle Laing.github.com Photo by framed.photos on Unsplash This family office was established by billionaire Lukas Walton, grandson of the founder of Walmart. This shift comes on the heels of the May 2024 spin-off from Builders Vision of a $2.5 billion fund. Laing has worked with Walton over the past decade. In her new position, she will be responsible for overseeing the making of investments and administering family trust.
Laing’s appointment to this role comes after nearly three decades working in environmental policy and advocacy. She had developed a collaborative style of working with Walton when he was her client at Cambridge Associates, where she oversaw impact investments. Now at Builders Vision, she’s looking to hire a half dozen or so new team members. With this expansion, her team will swell to nearly 30 strong!
Builders Vision focuses on philanthropy and impact investing to address critical global challenges: clean energy, food sustainability, and ocean health. Laing has a strong and diverse track record that aligns perfectly with this mission. Over the past several years, she has guided 90% of the firm’s $1.7 billion endowment to socially- and environmentally-friendly investments.
In her prior position, Laing led a team of mission-aligned investment. Combined, they deployed more than $300 million to early-stage startups and fund managers. Under her leadership, Builders Vision aims to bring together its investing teams. Laing will be responsible for leading approximately 20 investors from the merged divisions.
Laing’s influence extends beyond traditional investment strategies. As surety for the debt, she co-guaranteed $70 million of debt for the Bahamas government. Through this shift, the government was able to borrow more cheaply and reallocate these savings to marine conservation initiatives. This move further demonstrates her dedication to making financial decisions that align with our responsibility to be stewards of our environment.
On these turning points, Laing reflected on her years at Cambridge Associates. She stressed the need for varied perspectives and resources in developing smart investment plans.
“You have so many resources and so many people’s different opinions, which is such a big part of the magic of Cambridge.” – Noelle Laing
She credited the in-depth training that Cambridge Associates provided for her new position at Builders Vision.
“It’s a great training ground for a place like Builders Vision where you can focus and then implement kind of the best ideas from Cambridge.” – Noelle Laing
Lukas Walton emphasized Laing’s skills, calling her contributions “transformative to our investment approaches.”
“Noelle has been instrumental in the success of our investment strategies and is the perfect person for the job.” – Lukas Walton
Laing emphasized the range of investments that Builders Vision makes, underlining their holistic approach to moving important sectors forward.
“It’s a spectrum of investments, and it allows us to really get a deep view of the different ways that we can get exposure and move oceans, food and agriculture and energy into the future.” – Noelle Laing
Laing’s appointment will be a big moment for Builders Vision. With strategic investments, the organization hopes to increase its influence on issues of global importance such as climate change, nature-based solutions and biodiversity. Her leadership will surely continue to expand their approach with opportunities for learning and growth within the family office. In addition, it will deepen its commitment to socially responsible investing.