P&I is the only global media brand that I know of that was founded with an important mission — a mission that goes well beyond engaging and serving an audience.
As I look back on my 20 years as publisher and prepare to launch a new chapter, that mission is just as important today.
P&I debuted on July 9, 1973, and began regular publication almost simultaneously with the passing of ERISA in 1974. At launch, P&I was created to serve the needs of large asset owners in the U.S., but the editorial mission statement, crafted by Rance Crain, then editorial director and president of our parent company, Crain Communications Inc., went further to say: "What is best for the beneficiary in the long run is what's best for the industry and those who serve it."
I have been privileged to be the steward of this mission statement, and years later, KC Crain, the current CEO of Crain Communications, continues to support the expansion of this important mission.
Growth and innovation is embedded in P&I's DNA. We were the first media brand to publish investment performance in 1974 and captured the attention of investment leaders such as Warren Buffett, who took notice of how P&I helped investors see how large institutional investors were allocating their assets.
Along with our subscribers, P&I has grown and changed to adapt and thrive, with numerous initiatives over the years, including:
- Charting the rapid growth and adoption of ESG and responsible investing strategies worldwide; the growth of DEI initiatives; the rise of digital currencies; and the growing convergence of institutional and retail investing.
- Launching the first data-driven journalism set of products housed in our award-winning Research Center.
- Expanding the global footprint of P&I by opening an office in the U.K. and later in Singapore.
- Creating new conferences in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Africa and Japan.
- Establishing P&I Content Solutions, allowing asset managers to share their views on important trends and developments.
- Developing an award-winning website as well as the P&I Daily, along with weekly newsletters focused on need-to know topics.
It's been a heady experience to lead this growth, and it shows how far we've come as an industry with exciting growth ahead.
Since I became publisher, we have expanded P&I's reach into nearly every pool of professionally managed capital, and our mission has expanded to help people around the world do their jobs better.
More importantly, this is a business that improves the retirement outcomes of billions of individuals around the globe who depend on these stewards of assets (all of you) so they can retire with security and dignity.
I will be leaving P&I at the end of this summer to work on my own mission, where I will be launching a consulting practice, but not before taking a short break in Italy. P&I's future is in great and capable hands with its best years ahead of it. Thank you for your loyalty and support and for allowing me to be part of your lives and community. It has been a great privilege. And an especially big thank-you to the team members I have worked alongside. Your contributions have made P&I into the respected and valued brand that it is today.
