ESG Investor’s weekly round-up of moves and appointments in the sustainable investing sector, including Alpha Real Capital, BNY Mellon, Longevity, PAI, LifeSight, EdenTree IM, and TIME.
Alpha Real Capital, a London-based secure income real assets manager, has expanded its renewables infrastructure team, hiring Cyril Gatinot, Raza Ali and Anis Abdullah. Gatinot joins as Investment Director and will be focused on delivering the firm’s greenfield acquisition strategy, particularly in flexible generation, such as energy storage. He has over 15 years’ experience in renewables infrastructure investment, recently leading Scottish energy utility SSE’s programme in energy storage and solar in the UK and Ireland, driving the development of its three-gigawatt (GW) portfolio. Ali also joins as Investment Director, bringing 12 years of experience in UK renewables infrastructure, including secure income strategies across a range of asset types. Abdullah joins as Senior Investment Manager and will be responsible for developing pipeline origination and lead deal execution. Will Morgan, Alpha Real Capital’s Head of Renewables, said: “I’m delighted to welcome such experienced, high calibre individuals to our team as we take our renewables portfolio beyond £1 billion in AUM. I’ve no doubt they will make important contributions to the direct origination efforts that are central to our investment approach.”
Manisha Ali has been named as Head of Responsible Investment at US-based BNY Mellon Investor Solutions. Joining from Neuberger Berman, she will be drawing on over 17 years’ experience to continue shaping the firm’s investors solutions and responsible investing focus. Ali will be based in New York and will report to Sinead Colton Grant, Global Head of Investor Solutions. Colton Grant said: “Responsible investing is a highly complex area, as investors strive to align their sustainability and impact preferences with their financial goals, amidst the current geopolitical landscape and volatile markets. We are confident our clients will see the tremendous value and expertise Manisha brings with her deep knowledge of responsible investing and as a noted thought leader.”
Global ESG consultancy Longevity Partners has appointed Tamar Dane Dor-Ner and David Cropper to its US and global management boards. As a Partner at Bain & Company with more than 20 years of experience in private equity, retail, sales, marketing, consulting and brand strategy, Dane Dor-Ner also sits on Bain’s global board. Cropper joined the management board of Longevity Partners INC in September. He has over 37 years of experience and leadership in real estate development, including project design, entitlement, construction, and finance. Etienne Cadestin, Founder and CEO of Longevity Partners, said: “Together, they bring more than 50 years of experience and leadership in consulting and responsible property investment. Their vision, knowledge, and leadership are exactly what we need as we expand our operations internationally and innovate our business models to become the leading independent global ESG advisory and investment firm to deliver the transition to a low carbon world and address the imminent climate and biodiversity crises.”
French private equity firm PAI Partners has appointed Denise Odaro as Head of ESG and Sustainability. Odaro previously worked as Head of Investor Relations and Sustainable Finance Coordination at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), overseeing the ESG and investor relations strategy underpinning IFC’s US$17 billion annual funding program. She also led the coordination of sustainability integration across different industry groups and thematic areas at IFC and managed the sustainability ratings and impact reporting processes. Frédéric Stevenin, a Managing Partner at PAI Partners, said: “We are delighted to welcome Denise to PAI. Her experience will be invaluable as we continue to bolster our commitment to fully integrate ESG into our policies, processes and outcomes, keeping sustainability at the heart of PAI’s investments.”
Nihal Ozdemir has joined LifeSight, investment consultancy WTW’s UK defined contribution master trust, as Head of Member Communications and Engagement in the UK. Ozdemir joins from Legal and General, where she was Senior Communications and Engagement Consultant. In her new role, she will be responsible for onboarding new members of the master trust, as well as making sure that existing members have awareness and understanding of the features and enhancements available to help them manage their retirement savings through LifeSight. Stewart Patterson, LifeSight UK’s Head of Product and Commercial Strategy, said: “We are committed to continually improving and investing in our communication and engagement with new and existing members, so we are delighted to be able to welcome Nihal, whose skills and experience in member engagement and financial education will bring a valuable boost to our team.”
EdenTree Investment Management, a UK-based investment manager, has promoted David Katimbo-Mugwanya to Head of Fixed Income. In his new role, Katimbo-Mugwanya will take leadership of EdenTree’s Sterling Bond Fund. He will continue to manage the Global Impact Bond Fund and the Short-Dated Bond Fund. Charlie Thomas, EdenTree’s CIO, said: “David has been promoted to Head of Fixed Income at EdenTree Investment Management, a promotion that recognises the importance of our fixed interest strategy to the business and the success David has already delivered in his time at EdenTree.”
London-based investment management firm TIME Investments has hired Raymond Greaves, and Andrew Gill. Greaves has been appointed Head of Equity Funds, joining from finnCap, where he was Head of Research for more than eight years. He will be using his 26 years of industry experience to initially manage the firm’s estate planning solution. Gill joins as Fund Manager for TIME:UK Infrastructure Income and TIME:Property Long Income & Growth. He joins from investment bank Jefferies, where he was an Equity Research Analyst for over seven years, covering UK and European REIT. Nigel Ashfield, Managing Director of TIME Investments, said: “I am pleased to welcome Raymond and Andrew on board. They bring a great deal of experience to our growing team and join TIME at an exciting stage in the growth of the business.”
