ESG Investor’s weekly round-up of moves and appointments in the sustainable investing sector, including EQT Future, SCOR, LeapFrog, GIG, SMBC and the US SEC.
EQT Future, a subsidiary of Stockholm-based venture capital and private equity firm EQT Group, has made a series of new hires. Former UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore is joining EQT Future’s Mission Board, which works closely with the advisory team to ensure the fund’s strategic direction prioritises competence, credibility and objectivity. Fore is also a member of the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Laurie Spengler, Nicola Kimm, Stefan Ranstrand and Valerie Mosley have been appointed as Impact Advisors. Spengler is the Founder and CEO of Courageous Capital Advisors and a global ambassador for the Global Impact Investment Steering Group. She was formerly CEO of Enclude Capital UK and Central European Advisory Group. Kimm is Chief Sustainability Officer at HeidelbergCement and serves on EQT AB’s Board of Directors. Ranstrand is also a board member at Belimo and served on the board of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste between 2019-2021. Mosley serves on numerous boards, including Eaton Vance, Progress Investment Management Company and New York State’s Common Retirement Pension Fund, and is a former Partner at Wellington Management Company. All four new impact advisors will participate in EQT Future’s investment process, joining the boards of EQT Future’s portfolio companies. Anders Misund, EQT Future Partner and Advisory Team Head, said: “We are honoured to welcome such a seasoned group of experts to serve as advisors to EQT Future. The combination of their unique experiences and long track records within impact and development are an added strength to EQT Future and its portfolio companies.”
SCOR, a French reinsurance company, has announced the appointment of Bruno Pfister as the Chairman of its Audit Committee. Pfister succeeds Kay Sorenson, who has stepped down due to personal reasons. His current role as Chairman of the Risk Committee has now been appointed to Adrien Couret. The Board of Directors will co-opt a new female director over the coming weeks. Denis Kessler, SCOR’s Chairman, said: “I have every confidence in Bruno Pfister and Adrien Couret to lead the work of the Audit and Risk Committees, to the benefit of all the Group’s stakeholders.”
London-based LeapFrog Investments has announced the appointment of Roger Ferguson as a member of its Global Leadership Council and Julia Wallace as its Head of Impact. Wallace has previously worked as Global Head of Sustainability and Community Engagement at Standard Chartered Bank, where she was responsible for the integration of ESG factors and sustainability through coordinated delivery and best practice sharing across Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Prior to that, Wallace spent ten years advising governments and private sector leaders on promoting trade and development between North America and Africa, in roles with the Canadian Government, Corporate Council on Africa and African Development Bank. At LeapFrog, she will be responsible for supporting investment teams in driving impact across their deal processes. Ferguson is the former CEO and President of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America, and has previously served as Head of Financial Services and on the Executive Committee of Swiss Re. He currently serves on the boards of Alphabet. In his new role, Ferguson will focus on providing insight, strategic guidance and connection to LeapFrog’s founder and the firms’ leadership team. Dr Andy Kuper, LeapFrog’s Founder and CEO, said: “Our mission continues to be a magnet for industry-shaping leaders of Ferguson and Wallace’s calibre, known for their integrity and commitment to transformational business. They join us at an inflection point for the impact investing industry, as top tier institutional capital discovers the returns and the resilience achieved via purpose-led companies.”
Macquarie Asset Management’s Green Investment Group (GIG) has announced the appointment of William Demas as Head of Americas, Edward Northam as Head of APAC and Chris Archer and Sam Newman as Co-Heads of EMEA. Demas re-joins GIG from Stonepeak Partners, where he led the firm’s Americas renewable energy and energy transition investment activities. He has previously held positions at Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and is a former member of Macquarie Capital’s Power, Utilities and Renewables group. Northam has 25 years of experience in the global renewable energy industry. In addition to his new role, Northam will continue to lead GIG’s global core renewables strategy from his base in Singapore. Archer and Newman have a combined 40 years of experience at Macquarie. Archer previously led the GIG in the Americas and was involved in developing more than 15 gigawatts (GW) of projects across the region. Mark Dooley, GIG’s Global Head, said: “These appointments place seasoned market leaders in each of our three regional roles, Europe, APAC and the Americas. I’m confident this positions us for a new phase of growth in volume and impact; connecting the capital of the world’s largest investors with new green energy projects – helping to accelerate the transition to net zero.”
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), a Tokyo-based global financial institution, has announced the appointment of Priya Bellino as Head of ESG Solutions in Asia-Pacific. Bellino joins from EY’s sustainable finance business consulting practice, where she was responsible for advising major international and regional banks, asset managers and insurers. This included climate stress testing approaches, implementation under the environmental risk management guidelines of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, and ASEAN decarbonisation strategies. Previously, she spent 17 years at Goldman Sachs in London and Singapore. At SMBC, Bellino will be responsible for leading SMBC’s sustainable finance initiatives in Asia-Pacific, working with the firm’s team of ESG specialists to drive SMBC’s ESG ambitions and growth across the region. David Koh, SMBC’s Deputy Head of Corporate Banking for Asia-Pacific, said: “Our ESG mission and targets are clearer than ever, and we are delighted to have Bellino onboard to help lead our sustainability efforts.”
Jaime Lizárraga has been sworn in as a Commissioner for the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Lizárraga was nominated for the role by President Joe Biden earlier this year, and has over three decades of experience in public service. He has previously served as Director of Legislative Affairs for the Democratic staff of the House Financial Services Committee, Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of Legislative Affairs at the US Department of the Treasury, and Deputy Director of the SEC’s Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs. Gary Gensler, SEC’s Chair, said: “I’m honoured to welcome Lizárraga to the SEC as a Commissioner. Lizárraga is an incredible public servant with decades of experience in economic and financial policymaking. He has a deep understanding of the intersection of policy and the public interest.”
