What's Next for M&A...Market Tools for ESG...Counterspace Founder on the Role of Architecture

[Goldman Sachs]( [BRIEFINGS] January 6, 2022 What’s Next for M&A? The record levels of M&A activity in 2021 show no signs of dropping even in the face of rising inflation and economic uncertainty. In the latest episode of Exchanges at Goldman Sachs, Mark Sorrell and Stephan Feldgoise, co-heads of global mergers and acquisitions in Goldman Sachs’ Investment Banking Division, join host Allison Nathan to discuss what’s driving the surge in deal-making and the outlook ahead. “It's been a remarkable year,” Sorrell says. “We really have had a year of real consistency and real momentum—and we see that continuing.” From the role of private equity and low interest rates, to the impact of activist investing and technological and digital advancement, Sorrell and Feldgoise dig into the main causes of the M&A boom. Even in light of economic concerns and a resurgence in COVID-19 cases, Sorrell says that boards are pushing forward with strategic transformation. That’s because, Feldgoise argues, they’re focusing on the long-term: “Boards are really looking through these issues as we have looked through COVID in its prior waves, as we have looked through global instability to say, ‘What is my long-term strategic vision?...What do I need to do to be the winner in 5, 10, 20, 50 years?’” [Listen to podcast]( SHARE: [twitter]( [facebook]( [LinkedIn]( [email](mailto:?subject=What%E2%80%99s%20Next%20for%20M%26A%3F&body=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2FPV7sT-JRluc) Accelerating Transition: Market Tools for ESG Above (L to R): Kara Mangone and Sarah Lawlor of Goldman Sachs As environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing gains momentum, financial firms around the world will need to help clients achieve their sustainability goals. In an episode of Exchanges at Goldman Sachs, Sarah Lawlor, chief operating officer of the Sustainable Solutions Council in the Global Markets Division, joins Kara Mangone, global head of climate strategy at Goldman Sachs, to discuss the tools that ESG investors can use to accelerate the transition a net-zero future. While market participants may have questioned the resiliency of ESG at the start of the pandemic, the sophistication of sustainable investing has increased significantly since then, Mangone and Lawlor explain. “There has been a shift, particularly with the larger investors creating their own proprietary frameworks,” Lawlor says. “They themselves feel their value-add is to really think [about sustainable investing] through their own lens” rather than simply through the lens of a third party. And that isn’t the only shift when it comes to thinking about ESG, Lawlor adds, pointing out that historically investors may have thought that investing for good came with lower returns. “Now, the view is, you no longer need to give up on your returns, if you are going into something that is sustainable or ESG.” [Listen to podcast]( SHARE: [twitter]( [facebook]( [LinkedIn]( [email](mailto:?subject=Accelerating%20Transition%3A%20Market%20Tools%20for%20ESG&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.goldmansachs.com%2Finsights%2Fpodcasts%2Fepisodes%2F12-28-2021-mangone-lawlor.html) Counterspace Founder: ‘Architecture Can Be a Force for Good’ Above (L to R): Nishi Somaiya of Goldman Sachs and Sumayya Vally of Counterspace In the latest episode of Talks at GS, Sumayya Vally, founder and director of collaborative architectural studio Counterspace, discusses her upbringing in Johannesburg, her focus on collaboration and inclusivity, and the inspiration behind her 2021 Serpentine Pavilion design. On her childhood in Johannesburg: “The energy of apartheid falling and of the new South Africa was also very much in everything around us. And so, you know, political organizing and the rush of optimism that came around that time is also something that I got to experience alongside, of course, having to experience structures that are still very much ingrained and embedded even now.” On architecture being a force for good: “I think I have a heightened awareness of how weaponized architecture is...Most cities and places in the world are designed to be really segregated. Being able to understand that should push us to understand the opposite—that architecture can be a force for good and for bringing people together.” [Watch video]( SHARE: [twitter]( [facebook]( [LinkedIn]( [email](mailto:?subject=Counterspace%E2%80%99s%20Sumayya%20Vally%20on%20the%20UK%E2%80%99s%20Serpentine%20Pavilion&body=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2FM_-9c0g4Ujw) Goldman Sachs Media Highlights Bloomberg - January 4 [Goldman Sachs' Hui Shan on China's 2022 Outlook]( (8:58) [Subscribe]( [Unsubscribe]( The data provided in this newsletter is for information purposes only and should not be construed as investment or tax advice nor as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any particular security. Goldman Sachs believes the data in this newsletter is accurate, but does not verify its accuracy independently and does not warrant or guarantee that it is accurate or complete. Goldman Sachs has no obligation to provide any updates or changes to the data. No investment decisions should be made using this data. To the extent this newsletter includes material from the Goldman Sachs Global Markets Division, please click [here]( for information relating to Global Markets Division material and your reliance on it. To the extent this newsletter includes material from Goldman Sachs Asset Management, please click [here]( for additional disclosures. © 2022 Goldman Sachs, All rights reserved. 200 West Street, New York, NY 10282, USA [GS.com]( | [Careers Blog]( | [Privacy and Security]( | [Terms of Use]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [LinkedIn]( [YouTube]( [Instagram](