ESG Investor’s weekly round-up of new hires in the sustainable investing sector, including JPM AM, SEC, EFRAG, First Sentier, and Comgest.
JP Morgan Asset Management (JPM AM) has expanded its global sustainable investing team and platform with the creation of two new roles. Roland Rott has been appointed Head of Sustainable Investing Research and Soňa Stadtelmeyer-Petru Lead Sustainable Investing Strategist in EMEA. Both will report to JPM AM’s Global Head of Sustainable Investing, Jennifer Wu. Based in London, Rott, who was formerly Head of ESG & Sustainable Investment Research at La Française Group, will oversee a team that will develop ESG and thematic research, data and analytical solutions for JPM AM’s portfolio managers, research analysts and clients. Stadtelmeyer-Petru, who was previously Head of Sustainable Investing at Allianz Investment Management, will oversee JPM AM’s sustainable investing efforts in EMEA. Her team will support a wide range of needs, including bespoke portfolio requests, offering ESG policy guidance and best practice, assisting in setting net zero targets and engaging with clients globally on net zero.
US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Commissioner Allison Herren Lee has announced her intention to step down from her post at the end of her term in June. Sworn in, the Democrat has held the position for three years to serve out the remainder of a five-year term, having replaced former Commissioner Kara Stein. Lee will remain in her role until a successor has been confirmed. This is the second vacancy at the SEC, following Commissioner Elad Roisman’s announcement of his departure in January. “During her time as Acting Chair, [Herren Lee] brought swift focus to important investor issues, such as climate-related disclosures,” said SEC Chair Gary Gensler. “Herren Lee always maintains a clear sense of purpose on behalf of the American public, and we have benefitted greatly from her service.”
A number of changes have been made to the financial reporting board of the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG). Frederik Walmeus is to replace Anders Ullberg as Sweden’s Board Representative while Marie Seiller is taking over from Patrick de Cambourg as the French Representative. Ullberg is taking up a new role as EFRAG Administrative Board member and de Cambourg has been appointed a Sustainability Reporting Board member. The moves are part of EFRAG’s integration of sustainability reporting into its structure, which led to the creation of the Administrative and Sustainability boards.
Global asset manager First Sentier Investors has made three appointments to its responsible investment and corporate sustainability teams. Rebecca Antonini has been appointed to the newly-created position of Head of Corporate Sustainability, reporting to Chief Financial and Strategy Officer Suzanne Evans. Based in London, she has been with the firm for 15 years, working in Australia, Asia and the UK. Cressida Grant has been appointed Head of Corporate Philanthropy and will report to Antonini. She was previously Head of Philanthropy at The Prince’s Trust, where she managed relationships with ultra-high net worth donors, established the Prince’s Trust in the US and created a new fundraising stream to engage with the next generation of donors. Joanne Lee has been appointed Responsible Investment Specialist. Based in Hong Kong, she will be responsible for the delivery and promotion of the firm’s responsible investment strategy and credentials in Asia. Lee most recently held a Technical Specialist role in the sustainable finance team at WWF International.
Alix Faure and Marie Gauthier have joined the ESG team of global asset manager Comgest. Faure, former Head of Sustainable Investment at AFG, joins the firm in the newly created role of Head of Responsible Development. She has 17 years of experience in financial services and was AFG’s ESG spokesperson and lobbyist for sustainable finance at the French and EU legislative levels. Gauthier, a former Assistant Vice-President of Sustainable Finance at WWF in Singapore, has joined the asset manager as ESG Specialist. She has worked in the not-for-profit and sustainability consulting sectors for more than nine years. Both will be based at Comgest’s Paris headquarters.
