ESG Investor’s weekly round-up of new hires in the sustainable investing sector.
Credit Suisse has expanded its ESG strategy team with five new appointments. Karim Sayyad joins from Nordea Asset Management, whereas Michael van der Meer, Sina Dorner-Müller, Timothy Oehmigen and Angela Saxby join from Robeco. The new hires will advance and consolidate Credit Suisse’s ESG practices and procedures by joining the bank’s Sustainability Strategy, Advisory and Finance (SSAF) function, and will be further facilitating fundamental integration of sustainability insights through research. Van der Meer will act as Head of ESG Analysis, leading the ESG strategy team, reporting to Daniel Wild, Credit Suisse’s Global Head of ESG Strategy. “As ESG continues to grow in significance in our industry and across the world, Sayyad, van der Meer, Dorner-Müller, Oehmigen and Saxby will help to offer our clients a further enhanced sustainability service and position Credit Suisse as a leader in the area of ESG policy, analysis and expertise,” said Wild.
HSBC Global Asset Management has appointed Dr Nathalie Flury and Dr Michael Schröter as Co-Heads of Sustainable Healthcare Equity. Both joining from Vipas Partners and will report to Vis Nayer, HSBC GAM’s European and UK CIO. Flury and Schröter will be responsible for implementing the firm’s healthcare investment strategy, which aims to drive social impact without sacrificing performance. The strategy will include the launch of a sustainable healthcare fund. “Past strategies to make healthcare sustainable are struggling to work and we are reaching a tipping point that jeopardises healthcare sustainability. Healthcare budget increases beyond GDP growth are unlikely and patients are being increasingly denied treatments because of high costs. Shifting demographics and therapeutic innovation are also increasing the demand for healthcare and innovative therapies which come with increasingly high price tags,” Flury and Schröter said.
Dr Ben Caldecott has been appointed to BMO Global Asset Management’s Responsible Investment Advisory Council (RIAC). This follows BMO GAM joining the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative, pledging to achieve net zero emissions in its investment portfolios by 2050 or sooner. “We are delighted to welcome Caldecott to BMO GAM’s RIAC. His insights into the role finance can play in addressing critical sustainability issues will complement the existing Council members, and we look forward to drawing on his expertise. Asset managers have a unique and critical role to play in addressing climate risk, and we remain committed to challenging and expanding our knowledge in support of the transition to net zero,” said Kristi Mitchem, BMO GAM CEO.
Kempen Capital Management has expanded its sustainability equity strategy team with two new appointments. Ivo Kuiper has been appointed senior portfolio manager and Raoul Martin as equity analyst. Kuiper will focus on the continued ESG data implementation for the underlying funds, whereas Martin joins following a successful traineeship at Kempen as an equity analyst and data specialist. “Their addition to the team will ensure that we are very well positioned to reinforce our fundamental investment analysis with insights from both financial and alternative ESG data,” said Kempen’s Head of Sustainable Equity, Richard Klijnstra.
NN Investment Partners has strengthened its sustainable and impact equity team with senior appointments. Paul Schofield joins as Head of Sustainable and Impact Equity, and he will be leading the team managing the fund range. Prior to this appointment, Schofield was the lead portfolio manager of the Sustainable Equity range at Allianz Global Investor. Jeremy Kent also joins from AllianzGI and has been appointed senior portfolio manager of NN IP’s Sustainable Equity funds, and will report to Schofield. Appointed as NN IP’s Head of the Sustainable and Equity analyst team, Pieter van Diepen joins from Aberdeen Standard Investments, also reporting to Schofield. The analyst team has also been expanded with three appointments: Giovanna Petti, Dirk-Jan Dirksen and Jeff Meys. “We are very pleased to welcome six new members to our team. Schofield, Kent and van Diepen bring a wealth of experience and knowledge in equity investing and sustainability to NN IP and are fully aligned with our responsible investment philosophy,” said Jeroen Bos, Head of Specialised Equity and Responsible Investing at NN IP.
Investment company Eurazeo has appointed a new team focused on investing in the ecological transition of the European economy. Laurent Chatelin, Martin Sichelkow and Melissa Cohen join from sustainable European fund Marguerite. The trio will raise third-party capital in order to build a balanced portfolio of sustainable infrastructure assets and invest in sectors supporting sustainable changes currently taking place in Europe, such as the shift to renewable energies and digital technologies. “The creation of this team fits with Eurazeo’s ambition of making long-term investments in the sustainable infrastructure needed to develop communities, and we are looking forward to implementing our strategy of being an active, responsible investor,” said Renaud Haberkorn, Managing Partner and Head of Eurazeo’s Real Assets division.
CFA Institute has appointed Paul Andrews as Managing Director of Research, Advocacy and Standards from March 1 2021. Currently working as Secretary General of the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO), Andrews will bring deep expertise in working with international regulators, businesses and government agencies to better promote investor protection and best practices and standards in the investment management industry. Previously working as the CFA Institute’s Senior Head of Curriculum and Learning Experience, Barbara Petitt also now oversee implementation of the institute’s Professional Learning strategy. “As we at CFA Institute continue to amplify our influence in the investment management industry, both of these appointments signal our growing ambition and capabilities with particular regard to our work in research, advocacy and standards, and driving the future of professionals learning to promote excellence in the profession,” said Margaret Franklin, CFA, President and CEO at the CFA Institute.
ESG advisory and portfolio analytics specialist MainStreet Partners has added two new hires to its team. Liron Mannie has joined the team as a research analyst, strengthening the breadth and depth of analysis the company provides the investment industry. Matteo Balicco has joined as a Director and will be responsible for leading the digitalisation of MainStreet Partners. “Integrating ESG factors into investment strategies and solutions has been gathering pace over the last decade. We aim to reduce the gap between data providers and investors, helping them to develop strong and clear principles, underpinned by robust investment practices,” said Rodolfo Fracassi, Co-Founder and Managing Director of MainStreet Partners.
