Citi’s former sustainability research head Brown joins BlueBay as consultant

(Amends to stress Brown has joined BlueBay as an independent consultant)

Meg Brown, the former Director of Climate and Sustainability Research at Citi, has joined BlueBay Asset Management, the fixed income fund manager that’s part of the Royal Bank of Canada, as an independent consultant for a limited period.

London-based BlueBay specialises in fixed income and alternative assets and has $46.9bn (€35.2bn) in assets under management for institutions and high net worth individuals.

In July last year Responsible Investor reported that Brown was stepping down from sell-side research to undertake an internal project for Citi’s Private Bank on sustainable finance and philanthropy.

She had remained with Citi when the firm integrated its SRI research into mainstream broker research departments in late 2008.The firm subsequently built out a more specialist sustainability research approach.

Citi is directing all research related to green energy via Jason Channell, Director, Citi Investment Research & Analysis, and a specialist on utilities, gas, and renewable energy/cleantech coverage.

Brown had joined Citi in 2005 after spending two years at UKSIF, the UK’s sustainable investment and finance association, for two years as an analyst.

BlueBay, founded in 2001 and acquired by RBC in 2010, specialises in European corporate and global emerging market debt. Neither it nor parent firm RBC Global Asset Management is a signatory to the UN Principles of Responsible Investment. BlueBay has also chosen not to sign up to the UK Stewardship Code.