ESG Investor’s weekly round-up of appointments in the sustainable investing sector, including Janus Henderson, First Sentier, PGIM, US SIF and IIGCC.
Global active asset manager Janus Henderson has appointed Michelle Dunstan as Chief Responsibility Officer. Dunstan will begin her new role on 9 January 2023, and will be responsible for overseeing Janus Henderson’s responsible investing efforts. She joins from AllianceBernstein, where she has spent the last 18 years in a variety of roles, including Global Equities Portfolio Manager, Senior Research Analyst, and most recently Chief Responsibility Officer, where she developed and maintained AllianceBernstein’s corporate ESG strategy, and co-created and co-managed one of the firm’s ESG-focused equity portfolios. She will now work with Janus Henderson’s existing ESG teams to define optimal approaches and frameworks for the firm’s responsible investing and corporate responsibility efforts. Ali Dibadj, Janus Henderson’s CEO, said: “Michelle augments our existing capabilities with her experience and leadership skills and will further embed corporate responsibility and responsible investing capabilities across our company. I know she will be an effective advocate for appropriate sustainability work both within the company and in the industry at large.”
Kate Turner has been promoted to the role of Global Head of Responsible Investment at First Sentier Investors (FSI), replacing Will Oulton, who is retiring from the business at the end of the year. On Turner’s appointment, Mark Steinberg, FSI’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “For the past three years, Kate has played an integral role in working with our investment and RI teams to support integration of ESG considerations into our investment processes, while also regularly engaging with clients and stakeholders.” FSI’s RI team has also hired Finian Power as Head of ESG Policy and Regulation, and Bjorn De Smedt, Rhys Foulkes and Belinda White as RI Specialists. Power was previously Head of Investment Management in FSI’s Dublin office and will now use his two decades’ of industry experience to lead the development of FSI’s understanding of current and emerging ESG/sustainability policy and regulatory issues globally. De Smedt has joined following 12 years at Institutional Shareholder Services, while Foulkes and White have moved from different roles within FSI. Steinberg said: “Our global RI team is now well-positioned to advise on increasingly complex ESG regulations, and work with investment teams on critical issues including climate change, human rights and modern slavery, diversity and biodiversity.”
PGIM, the global investment manager arm of Prudential Financial, has appointed Natalie Gill as Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Strategy and Industry Engagement. Gill joins from Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation where she was Head of DEI, EMEA, and was responsible for designing the DEI strategy across the region. In the newly created role, Gill will be responsible for driving the evolution of the firm’s DEI strategy, drawing on best practices and innovation from across the asset management industry, financial services and DEI practitioners. She will also lead on deepening and broadening diversity partnerships both externally and internally, with a focus on the EMEA region, and will publish global research and thought leadership content to create positive change. Gill was also previously an Inclusion and Diversity Lead in the HR Culture and Inclusion team at Santander. Kathy Sayko, PGIM’s Chief DEI Officer, said: “Natalie has been an advocate for DEI for multiple decades, playing a key role in driving impact at the firms she has worked for as well as across the finance and asset management sector more broadly. We are thrilled to welcome her to the PGIM team and are excited about the many ways her experience, passion and deep knowledge can ensure we continue to offer our people a diverse and inclusive environment.”
Bryan McGannon has been promoted to Managing Director of the US Forum of Sustainable and Responsible Investment (US SIF). In his former role as Director of Policy and Programs, McGannon has drawn on over 20 years of policy and advocacy experience, working to advance the interests and perspectives of the sustainable and impact investing community with policymakers and stakeholders. He has previously served as State Director in Ohio for the Alliance for Climate Protection’s Repower America campaign, and also played a part in former Vice President Al Gore’s campaigns to pass climate and energy legislation.
At its 2022 AGM, the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC) announced it has reappointed three members – Ian Simm, Jelle van der Giessen and Udo Riese – to its board. Simm, the Founder and CEO of Impax Asset Management, has been appointed as Treasurer, with van der Giessen, NN Group’s CIO, and Riese, Allianz Investment Management’s Head of Sustainable Investing, re-joining IIGCC as directors. Faith Ward, IIGCC’s Chair, said: “I am delighted with the board reappointments as all three bring valuable skills and expertise. I look forward to seeing IIGCC build on this in 2023.” The IIGCC has added 63 new members in 2022, with total membership now over 390.
