Baillie Gifford & Co is an independently owned investment management firm founded in 1908 and headquartered in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. The firm has a long heritage of managing investments on behalf of institutional and retail clients worldwide, including pension funds, charities, and other entities. Baillie Gifford focuses on identifying companies and assets that can sustain long-term growth, emphasizing patience and rigorous research. Its investment approach is global, although based in Edinburgh, and it manages a wide product range, including equity and fixed income portfolios, through separate and pooled vehicles.
The firm is committed to responsible investment principles and aims to support the firms it invests in to succeed sustainably. Baillie Gifford is a signatory to initiatives such as the Principles for Responsible Investing (PRI) and the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative (NZAMI), reflecting its dedication to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues.
Since registering with the EU Transparency Register in 2008, Baillie Gifford has sought to influence EU legislation and policy within the banking and financial services sector, climate action initiatives, and the broader economy and finance policies, including sustainable finance regulations. Its engagement covers important legislative files such as MiFID II, AIFMD, GDPR, Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), and other financial market reforms.
Baillie Gifford’s lobbying efforts are primarily aimed at promoting the firm’s own interests as an asset manager and the collective interests of its members. Its team liaises with EU institutions to contribute expertise and ensure regulatory frameworks support the investment management industry while fostering innovation and responsible practices.
Operating with a relatively small lobbying team (around 0.5 full-time equivalent in EU-related activities), Baillie Gifford invests annually in transparency about its lobbying expenditures and activities. The firm maintains offices in the UK and Ireland for its EU-related operations.
To support its networking and influence efforts, Baillie Gifford engages with key industry associations such as the European Fund and Asset Management Association and the Investment Association. These memberships enable the firm to participate in broader dialogues and policy shaping initiatives at the EU level.
Overall, Baillie Gifford & Co combines its deep investment expertise with strategic engagement in EU policymaking processes to contribute to shaping a regulatory environment conducive to sustainable financial markets and long-term value creation.
