Ahead of CFG’s Annual Conference 2026, CFG’s Emma Abbott catches up with Sophie Ward from the event’s headline sponsors HSBC Private Bank about what this year’s conference theme, 'Empowering Change, Inspiring Progress', means to her and what charities can do to remain resilient and impactful.
When Sophie Ward isn't out mountain biking or chasing a wave on a surfboard, she’s found working alongside charities, supporting them with their investments. As Head of the Charity Investment Team at HSBC Private Bank, she's spent the past seven years helping organisations make confident, well-governed decisions about their money and, just as crucially, keep their cool when the markets don't.
Sophie joined HSBC as a graduate in 2010, having originally set her sights on a career in the charity sector. The recession had other ideas, however. The foundation she'd hoped to join lost its funding, and through “various twists of fate” she found herself in private banking, advising individual clients on their finances. When the opportunity later came to develop and grow HSBC's charity offering, it brought the threads of her life together.
“It was a really nice leadership role for me to step into,” she explains, “as it brought together all my different strands of financial knowledge with sustainable investment and charity passion.”
Sophie grew up in an international family that travelled and lived in many different countries, and this is where her instinct to make a difference grew. “Our family has been lucky enough to see a lot of different cultures and places, and we've very much had the ethos that we needed to help those around us. That value has always driven through my work.”
It was Sophie’s grandfather, a successful engineer and corporate executive, who deepened her understanding of charitable service. “He was a very quiet, thoughtful man,” Sophie recalls. “It was so important for him to make that difference that no one in our family knew for years that he had spent decades quietly volunteering with the Samaritans. Then, even when he was in his 70s, he continued to help by driving people around his community. He was a huge inspiration for me.”
Empowering change, inspiring progress
Sophie is among the speakers at this year's CFG Annual Conference on 25 June, where the theme 'Empowering Change and Inspiring Progress' feels made for the moment.
“For me, empowering change is about helping charities to manage uncertainty,” explains Sophie. “And inspiring progress is turning the long-term ambition of the organisation into very practical steps, whether it's through their impact, their sustainability or their resilience. We help them with that implementation phase of what they're looking to do and advise them on their investment strategy.”
With volatility now a feature of the markets, rather than a bug, Sophie’s message is one of perspective, not panic. “It’s really important for charities to stay mission-led while adapting quickly to uncertainty, because uncertainty is just a feature of everything around us now.
“Charities need strong governance and clear objectives, rather than trying to predict what's going to happen, because none of us knows. What can charities control? They control their governance framework which then feeds into everything else, including your investment policy, your market timing, your reserves management.”
It’s straightforward advice, but Sophie knows there is no one-size-fits-all solution. This means getting to know each charity client deeply by understanding their objectives, their concerns and their stakeholder needs before making any recommendations. And those, says Sophie, could be around straightforward cash management, a bond portfolio for reserves, discretionary multi-asset portfolios or even private markets for those organisations that are comfortable taking on a degree of illiquidity risk.
Although her approach has always remained the same, Sophie notes a shift towards greater connection: “Clients are wanting more regular dialogue on what's going on and why. What they want is clear, calm guidance on the upcoming risks, what risks are inherent in the portfolio, what their liquidity is like, and scenario planning.”
Stress testing and modelling how a portfolio might behave under historic or hypothetical scenarios forms a significant part of Sophie’s work. It’s important, she says, for trustees to see directions of travel because it helps them to avoid making decisions in the heat of the moment.
In her seven years running the team – through Covid, the ongoing cost of living crisis, the August 2024 global stock market sell-off, and war in Ukraine and Iran – Sophie hasn't had a single client panic and sell at the bottom.
It’s a reassuring track record, particularly for trustees feeling the weight of responsibility when markets wobble. “We do a lot of work on making sure our charity clients have enough cash, enough reserves. They haven't panicked and sold.”
Making the case for charity investments
For those charities that are sitting on some cash, unsure what to do with it, Sophie is candid: indecision has its own cost. “After about 18 months to two years, [staying in cash] has a very negative compounding effect on the organisation.”
A well-structured portfolio can smooth income through economic cycles, protect purchasing power, and offer strategic flexibility when costs rise or revenue streams falter, explains Sophie. But the awareness gap among charities of what investments can offer is real.
“There's a huge amount of education that can be done, because investments are a complex area,” Sophie acknowledges. “Charities have limited and finite resources and having the time and expertise to drill down into them is a big step.”
That’s why HSBC runs free, virtual trustee training sessions, for clients and non-clients alike, to demystify the subject and help boards feel confident in their oversight role.
And on the topic of sustainability? Don't drop it when markets get bumpy, Sophie warns, pointing out that five of the World Economic Forum's top ten risks over the next decade are environmental. “Those risks and opportunities don't pause for short-term volatility!”
Staying steady in choppy waters is what charitable organisations do best, but 2026 feels especially turbulent. What should charitable and social change organisations do to weather the storm?
“Stay disciplined,” says Sophie. “And avoid making decisions based on the short term where possible. When it comes to managing your investments, engage with your managers and advisors regularly, so you truly understand what's happening in your portfolio and the risks you might face.
“Change and volatility is uncomfortable in the investment markets, but it's not new and it will very much be a feature of markets going forwards.”
The answer to the discomfort, Sophie argues, isn't about trying to predict the unpredictable; it's controlling what you can.
Sophie Ward presents at CFG's 2025 Annual Conference in London.
A day for connection (and good food and company!)
HSBC Private Bank has sponsored CFG’s Annual Conference’s for the past six years, and Sophie is looking forward to another full day of conversations and, she admits with a grin, the food. “The annual conference food is the best, and we’re proud to be supporting the event once again.”
Catering aside, for Sophie the day is fundamentally about collaboration. “We have a real shared commitment with CFG to supporting charitable organisations with their finances, to help them create positive, long-lasting change. The conference really does create momentum – ideas, connections and lots of practical tips for charities to take away afterwards.
“I’m going to enjoy hearing how charities are adapting to circumstances at the moment, and what support will make the biggest difference for them from the investment industry.”
On the day, Sophie will be speaking about navigating uncertainty, drawing together the themes of governance, discipline, and reconnecting a portfolio to a charity's purpose through its time horizon, liquidity needs and risk tolerance.
We’re looking forward to seeing her and the team there!
If you’re joining us at CFG’s Annual Conference in London on 25 June and want to learn more about charity investments, head to the HSBC Private Bank booth to speak to Sophie. You’ll not only benefit from her financial insights but, as a qualified Yoga instructor, Sophie’s breathwork techniques will leave you feeling reenergised and ready to change the world!