ESG Investor’s weekly round-up of moves and appointments in the sustainable investing sector, including AXA IM, Macquarie AM, Pollination, Sphera, ISSB, and CDP.
AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) has announced the launch of the AXA IM Investment Institute, with the appointment of Chris Iggo as Chair. The new platform aims to assist clients in making better informed investment decisions by combining the expertise of the firm’s research and investment teams. Iggo will lead the AXA IM Investment Institute Advisory Committee, which will meet quarterly to discuss key macro and research themes to be covered by the Institute and compliment the research currently provided by AXA IM’s experts. The Investment Institute will also host a regular series of videos and discussions hosted by Iggo, called ‘AXA IM Institute talks’. Iggo said: “We decided to make content produced across our investment and macro research teams more tailored to client needs and answer some of the most burning investment questions. Research is central to all our investment decisions. The move will bring our experts closer together, allowing for greater collaboration on a range of topics from sustainability to future trends. I look forward to chairing our first committee meeting.” Iggo will continue as CIO of AXA IM Core alongside his new position.
Macquarie Asset Management (MAM) has appointed Kristina Kloberdanz as its Chief Sustainability Officer. Kloberdanz will lead the delivery of the firm’s ESG and sustainability commitments to align its global portfolio with net zero emissions by 2040 and scale efforts to operationalise sustainability and ESG across its asset management and investment processes. She joins from her prior role as Chief Sustainability Officer at Mastercard, where she led the company’s sustainability strategy, which included efforts to bring one billion people into the financial mainstream and Mastercard Impact fund. Previously, Kloberdanz was responsible for leading IBM’s global corporate responsibility strategy and chaired the World Economic Forum’s Trillion Trees US Stakeholder Council. Ben Way, Group Head of Macquarie Asset Management, said: “We want to become a global leader in sustainable asset management […] to achieve our ambition, we need the very best people in our business who are experts and strong leaders in this space. We are thrilled to welcome Kristina to Macquarie and know she will play an important role in driving progress across our sustainability priorities and commitments – ensuring every investment we make is aligned with our vision to deliver positive impact for everyone.”
Climate and nature investment and advisory firm Pollination has announced the appointments of Diana Callebaut, Shane Flatman and Rob Grant to its newly created Executive Committee as Head of Investment, CFO and Head of Projects, respectively. The Executive Committee will support Pollination’s planned expansion into Asia, with an initial focus on Tokyo and Singapore. Global Head of Investment Callebaut was most recently Head of Real Assets and Private Markets at NSW Government Sovereign Investment and amassed 20 years of experience at Credit Suisse and CBUS Super Fund. She will oversee Pollination’s investment strategy and joint ventures. New CFO Flatman has previously served as COO at OneVentures and BlackRock Australia. Grant joins as Head of Projects following roles as CEO at Pacific Hydro and Director of Energy at Fortescue Metals Group, and will be responsible for leading origination, development and delivery of decarbonisation projects. Martijn Wilder, Pollination’s CEO, said: “In the face of a global problem, we’re building a formidable global team – one that will not shy away from disrupting the status quo.” Paul Orton, ANZ’s Internal Audit Group General Manager, has also joined the Pollination board following ANZ’s US$50 million investment in the company and the formation of a strategic partnership to deliver new sustainable financial solutions.
Global ESG services provider Sphera has announced the appointment of David Batchelor as Chairman of the Board to lead its directors in overseeing the growth plans of the company. Batchelor has 40 years of experience in risk, insurance and capital markets, and has previously held roles as Non-Executive Chairman for Talbot Underwriting at Lloyd’s of London and UK-based insurance broking and risk management firm Marsh. He also has specific expertise in ESG, sustainability and climate risk management, as well as advancing diversity, equality and inclusion programmes. Paul Marushka, Sphera’s CEO and President, said: “David’s extensive global executive experience and deep understanding of all aspects of risk management will assist Sphera as it continues its growth trajectory across geographies and markets. Enabling companies to make informed, data-based decisions to mitigate risk and achieve their sustainability goals is central to advancing our mission of creating a safer, more sustainable and productive world.”
The IFRS Foundation Trustees has announced the appointments of Richard Barker, Verity Chegar, Bing Leng and Ndidi Nnoli-Edozien as inaugural members of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB). Barker is currently Deputy Dean and Professor of Accounting at the University of Oxford. He chairs the Expert Panel of Accounting for Sustainability and has previous experience serving as a member of several committees focused on corporate reporting in the UK, including the UK Corporate Reporting Council, the Financial Reporting Advisory Board and the European Accounting Association’s Accounting Standards Committee. Chegar has 20 years of experience in sustainable investment and stewardship, joining from the California State Teacher’s Retirement System where she led the pension fund’s policy engagement on sustainable investment and stewardship issues and the fund’s efforts to reach net zero. She also has previous experience with BlackRock and is currently serving as Co-Vice Chair of the SASB Standards Board. Leng joins from his role as a Director in the Accounting Regulatory Department of the Chinese Ministry of Finance and currently serves as a member of the International Accounting Standards Board’s IFRS Taxonomy Consultative Group. Nnoli-Edozien last served as the inaugural Group Chief Sustainability and Governance Officer at Dangote Industries , a large African manufacturing business. Her career has focused on building connections to initiate sustainable development initiatives. Emmanuel Faber, Chair of the ISSB, said: “I am delighted to welcome Richard, Verity, Bing and Ndidi to the ISSB. They all have a passion for sustainability and reporting and will help get the ISSB off to a great start as we prepare to discuss the feedback received to our current consultation”.
Paul Simpson, CEO of environmental disclosure platform CDP, has been awarded an OBE for services to tackling climate change. Simpson was named in the Queen’s Birthday 2022 Honours List, the award recognising notable achievements throughout his career, including co-founding CDP in 2002. Under his leadership, CDP has grown 53-fold since 2002 and by 114% since 2015. In 2021, 64% of companies accounting for global market capitalisation disclosed through CDP. Commenting on the award, Simpson said: “Although there has been a significant increase in awareness of environmental risk over the last two decades, the current pace and scale of activity remains insufficient, and the climate and ecological crises are still accelerating. Greater urgency, more government regulation and increased investment is required to limit global warming to 1.5°C. I look forward to continuing to play my part in driving ambitious action that supports a thriving economy that works for people and planet in the long term.”
