ESG Investor’s weekly round-up of moves and appointments in the sustainable investing sector, including BNP Paribas, ISSB, Kempen, Pathzero and the FCA.
BNP Paribas, a French international banking firm, has announced the appointment of Peter Zink Secher in the newly created role of Head of ESG Ratings Advisory EMEA. Secher joins from Denmark-based financial services provider Nykredit and will report to Joe Weaver, Head of Credit and ESG Ratings Advisory in London, and Ulrik Ross, CEO of BNP Paribas Group in Denmark. The ESG Ratings Advisory department aims to respond to boardroom and c-suite needs. Weaver said: “The addition of Secher’s unique ESG ratings expertise will significantly enhance the team’s capabilities and the breadth of our advisory offering to clients.” According to Zink Secher, BNP Paribas’ ESG Ratings Advisory service is a quantitative tool helping companies and investors alike strengthening their ESG journey. “It is essentially a ‘What if’ analysis that predicts what specific sustainability actions, disclosures and controversies that will influence a company’s ESG rating,” he said.
The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) has made three board appointments across Japan and Europe. With Jenny Bofinger-Schuster, Hiroshi Komori and Veronika Pountcheva, the board now has 13 people. Bofinger-Schuster joins the ISSB from Siemens, where she was Senior Vice President of Sustainability and Operational excellence, responsible for developing the company’s sustainability strategy and for implementing new disclosure requirements. Komori served as Head of the Stewardship and ESG Division at the Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) in Japan for seven years. He established the ESG division and developed GPIF’s investor engagement and participation in international sustainability initiatives. Pountcheva joins from METRO, where she served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Responsibility and Co-CEO of NX Food and was responsible for developing the company’s long-term sustainability strategy. Bofinger-Schuster will start in December, Komori in September and Pountcheva in October. Erkki Liikanen, Chair of the IFRS Foundation Trustees, said: “With these latest appointments we have a geographically balanced board with a broad range of expertise that puts the ISSB in good stead to respond to the global demand from companies, investors, regulators and others for better sustainability disclosures.”
Herman Kleeven will be joining Kempen Capital Management, the investment manager of Van Lanschot Kempen, as Investment Lead of the sustainable equity team as of 1 October. With over 30 years of experience in the financial sector, Kleeven has previously been responsible for the equity participation portfolio of ING insurance for a decade, and further was one of the initiators of ING Investment Management’s sustainable equity strategy. Most recently, he led the focus equities team at APG. Erik van Houwelingen, Member of the Management Board of Van Lanschot Kempen and responsible for investment strategies and solutions: “Our Global and European Sustainable Equity strategies are doing well, with a strong five-year track record and currently €1 billion in AUM. With his broad knowledge and experience, Kleeven will help us take this success further and will contribute to the realisation of our international growth ambitions.”
Australia-based environment consultancy firm Pathzero has announced the appointment of Anna Turvoll as Vice President of Investor Relations. In her new role, Turvoll will be responsible for ensuring the company is appropriately and strategically positioned with analysts, investors and Pathzero stakeholders. Her role additionally involves creating strategies, frameworks and tactics for the company, as well as identifying collaborations and partnerships. Turvoll has more than a decade of experience in corporate advisory and financial services in London and Sydney and was most recently Head of Investor Relations at v2food where she raised more than A$155 million from Series A to B+ with international investors. Carl Prins, Pathzero’s CEO and Co-Founder, said: “Turvoll’s proven track record developing start-ups and her ability to engage effectively with the investor community will be invaluable to Pathzero as our company seizes upon this tremendous growth opportunity by helping further define our strategy and engaging with the investment community.”
The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced it is looking for external experts to help shape its work on ESG issues. Earlier this year, the FCA board chose to establish a new ESG advisory committee to assist in executing its ESG-related responsibilities. This includes considering the UK’s net zero commitment when considering how to advance and achieve the FCA’s objectives and functions. The advisory committee will provide advice to the board on how it executes oversight of ESG issues relevant to the FCA, relevant emerging ESG topics or issues, and how the FCA should develop its ESG strategy. The committee’s membership will be comprised of a small number of external experts with in-depth knowledge of ESG issues in the financial sector.
