ESG Investor’s weekly round-up of new hires in the sustainable investing sector, including Denham Capital, the Cibus funds, Orestes Sustainable Income, Earth Capital and the Future Fund.
Denham Capital, a global energy, resources and sustainable infrastructure investment firm, with more than US$10 billion of invested and committed capital across 11 fund vehicles, has appointed Jorge Camiña as Head of Credit for its new Sustainable Infrastructure Credit Platform. With over 20 years’ experience in project finance and investment management, Camiña has held senior positions at Allianz Global Investors and Santander Corporate and Investment Banking. “Denham’s 15-year success in renewable power and global infrastructure investing makes the firm uniquely positioned to become a leader in sustainable infrastructure credit, while supporting its ambition to advance the energy transition through capital, infrastructure and technology,” said Camiña. In his most recent role as Director of Infrastructure Debt at Allianz Global Investors, Camiña exercised his expertise in infrastructure markets, executing the 2018 launch of the infrastructure debt strategy in Latin America. “It’s an exciting time for Denham as we grow our Sustainable Infrastructure Credit Platform – recently launched with a US$2 billion commitment from Aflac Global Investments – and Camiña is the ideal person to lead these efforts. His track record of methodically growing global credit businesses, deep network for origination and proven execution, are second to none. Camiña exemplifies the leadership required to grow our global sustainable infrastructure credit business,” said Justin DeAngelis, Co-Head of Sustainable Infrastructure at Denham Capital.
The Cibus funds, the sustainable food and agriculture investment adviser, has appointed Benoit Boisseuil and Tom Ritchie as Investment Directors. The pair will be responsible for sourcing, executing and managing growth equity and buy-out situations within the funds. Ritchie is an experienced food and agricultural investment professional joining the firm from his prior role as Investment Director at Rabobank. He has also held a number of positions on the boards of Agrifood Tech companies. Boisseuil has over 13 years’ experience as a private equity investor, strategy consultant and M&A investment banker across EMEA and Asia. His most recent role was Vice President of private equity firm AGIC. “They are both valuable additions to the team and join at a time when global food production is being significantly impacted by the ongoing climate crisis, a growing world population and rapid regulatory change. These factors are combining to disrupt decades of accepted agriculture and food production practices. Their joint experience and expertise will add strength and depth to the Cibus team as we continue to see strong growth. Both Tom and Benoit bring specialist knowledge and experience in sectors and key investment themes to the Cibus funds,” said Rob Appleby, Co-Founder of the Cibus funds.
Didier Bodart and Teejay Johnson have joined the Orestes Sustainable Income portfolio analysis team and will be responsible for developing its investment strategy to address the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while identifying sources of sustainable income. Johnson is a global macro thematic investor, previously serving as a Senior Discretionary Portfolio Manager at HSBC Bank in Monaco. “I like many professional investors believe that the classical 40/60 bonds equity portfolio model is outdated and I’m excited for the opportunity to help investors find innovative ways to optimise their portfolio risk adjusted returns by utilising our unique product expertise in private debt, green bonds, IPOs and other off market investments. My focus will be on helping investors find new and exciting ways to reduce their environmental footprint through offering them best in class investment opportunities,” he said. Bodart managed Monaco Alpha for three years before joining the firm. “I want to facilitate the growth of the assets under management by demonstrating a top decile in performance under ESG criteria. I am fully committed to compounding capital over time by taking advantage of asymmetry when it appears to avoid significant losses,” said Bodart.
Sustainable investing private equity group Earth Capital has promoted Phil Culver Evans from his prior role as CFO to CEO. He has taken over CEO responsibilities from Gordon Power, who remains as CIO. Culver Evans first joined the firm in 2017, overseeing Earth Capital’s growth in assets under management and the launch of the Nobel Sustainability Fund. He has previously managed portfolios for Robert Walters, Huntsworth and College Hill. “I am honoured to be appointed to this post, with the support of the team, at this exciting and dynamic time for Earth Capital. With COP26 ahead and fundraising for our Nobel Sustainability Fund nearing its close, the importance of our vision for the future of sustainable finance has never been greater,” said Culver Evans.
Kimberley Reid has joined the Future Fund as Chief People and Culture Officer. Reporting to the Future Fund’s CEO Dr Raphael Arndt, she will work with the senior leadership team to develop and reinforce the agency’s culture and ensure the development of its human resources efforts. Reid has previously held roles at ANZ Banking Group, the Commercial Bank of Qatar and in consulting. “Reid brings a strong skillset and great experience that will really help to mature the People and Culture function and support us as the organisation continues to grow. I am confident that she will drive our ambition to codify and develop our culture and bring new and valuable perspectives to the senior leadership team,” said Dr Arndt.
