On the road again!
The sanitary measures adopted by the governments in the last two years and the support to vaccination campaigns are bearing fruit in the fight against Covid-19. However, if this virus no longer forces us to live under a bell, the rise of the 7th wave reminds us that the disease is still present and that we must learn to reconcile our daily lives with it.
At STOA, our teams are returning to the field of operations. What a joy to meet our partners, the management teams of our portfolio companies, and to carry out our due diligence on site. We have sorely missed the dynamics and richness of the meetings, the international or more regional events… This life made of contacts is the key to the success of our activity as investors and asset managers.
Our employees have embraced this new situation with energy and determination. This enthusiasm can be seen in the looks on their faces every time they leave and return from a trip. The planning and organization of our missions have greatly improved thanks to digital tools. These innovations help us to better target trips for key meetings and negotiation milestones in order to limit our carbon footprint and maximize our impact.
In a context that remains difficult due to the war in Ukraine and forces us to be extremely vigilant, getting back on the road means targeting opportunities on the ground, monitoring the progress of projects, assessing the challenges that need to be overcome. Being on the road also means forging new partnerships, uncovering the hot topics, all those initiatives and projects that have matured and shaped themselves during the pandemic. Being on the road is also and above all about sharing good times together, rediscovering our optimism and faith in the future, which pushes us to roll up our sleeves and go further, together, in an abundance of ideas.
At STOA, these exceptional circumstances push us to refocus on projects that are by nature more private, of reasonable size, close to the essential needs of the populations that benefit from them. They are also riskier and more entrepreneurial in nature.
Continuously adapting, keeping a sharp and seasoned eye on unusual situations, working on our assets and with our targets in terms of climate strategy, biodiversity and resilience, these objectives remain our priorities. They commit us over the long term, over a period of time that allows us to truly measure the impact of the projects we support on the continents and the populations that benefit from them. We are committed to these objectives at our own scale and with a concern for agility, frugality and humility.
