As fear of corporate power grows, and examples of business irresponsibility proliferate, the financial sector has emerged as a potentially powerful influence on corporate activities. Members of the global investment community - from motivated individuals to powerful institutional investors such as pension funds and mutual funds - have increasingly sought to redefine expectations of corporate behavior. One key manifestation of the rise of the responsible investor has been the dramatic increase in the number and financial muscle of 'investor governance networks' in the past decade. From the Carbon Disclosure Project to the Conflict Risk Network, varied collaborations have been formed, matched by ambitious global public-private collaborations such as the United Nations-based Principles for Responsible Investment (UN PRI).

Timely and original, The Power of the Investor sheds light on this important development in investor activism, asking how and why did these networks form? Have they, in reality, influenced corporate behavior? Most importantly, can they make a real difference in the form and function of global capitalism?