People & Appointments: APG seeks engagement specialist

Dutch asset manager APG is seeking an engagement specialist to support the implementation of its responsible investment policy. The candidate will work alongside the manager’s investment team to engage with listed companies in its portfolio to improve governance standards and practices, and help ensure that voting policies are properly implemented.

Zineb Bennani has been named CEO of the US arm of Mirova, the sustainability investment house owned by Natixis. Bennani was previously chief operating and development officer at the firm, and has also worked as deputy chief investment officer and head of governance and engagement during her 17-year career at Natixis and Mirova. She replaces former interim CEO Ritesh Shah, who will now lead Mirova’s corporate development.

Amber Fairbanks has joined Impax Asset Management as portfolio manager to work across social investment products. She joins from Mirova, where she was co-manager of several sustainable equity funds for more than four years.

The Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC) is recruiting a climate initiatives senior programmes manager to lead its work with initiatives including the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), Net Zero Asset Managers and Paris Aligned Asset Owners. The candidate will chair and delegate involvement in external working groups, as well as engage with networks and working groups. Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis.

The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has launched an independent body designed to maintain the robustness and credibility of SBTi standards and guidance. The technical council will be chaired by Kornelis Blok, lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports. Laura Draucker, corporate climate emissions director at Ceres, will serve as vice chair. Appointed members include EFRAG environmental lead Pedro Faria, Oxford Sustainable Finance Group director Ben Caldecott, and Stephanie Roe, global climate and energy lead scientist at WWF. Members will serve for a two-year period from 1 July.

JPMorgan Private Capital has poached Tikehau Capital’s Alex Bell to join its sustainable growth equity platform as partner. Bell was head of North America climate private equity at Tikehau and has previously worked as sustainable investment director at Canadian pension fund CDPQ.

Groupe Caisse des Dépôts is recruiting a biodiversity, water and circular economy expert to lead its sustainable policy department. The successful candidate will head up the group’s work on biodiversity reporting, as well as contribute to work on various nature initiatives such as the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD).

Michael Schmidt has joined the Green and Sustainable Finance Cluster Germany as managing director and special representative of the association, working alongside Kristina Jeromin. He succeeds Karsten Löffler. Schmidt will continue in his role as senior adviser to Laiqoon’s board, having formerly worked as chief investment officer at the German investment firm. He also volunteers as a member of the sustainable finance advisory committee of the German government.

SEB climate and sustainable finance adviser Gregor Vulturius has been named lead scientist at the Swedish bank in addition to his existing role, which he has held for two years. He previously worked as head of EU policy engagement at the Stockholm Environment Institute.