People & Appointments: Victor van Hoorn joins ICI, Eurosif names replacement

Victor van Hoorn, former executive director of European sustainable investment industry body Eurosif, has joined the Investment Company Institute as managing director and head of the Brussels office of its global wing. Van Hoorn, who left Eurosif in July after two years at the helm, sits on the French government’s SRI label committee.

Aleksandra Palinska has been appointed as van Hoorn’s replacement at Eurosif. Palinska, who was most recently senior research and advocacy officer at Finance Watch, has also held roles at EFAMA and Accountancy Europe. She sits on EFRAG’s sustainability reporting board.

Jacomijn Vels has been promoted to head of sustainable finance at ING. Vels has spent her entire career at the bank, joining in 1994 as an account manager at ING Lease and holding several roles before becoming managing director of global credit restructuring in 2012.

Jingdong Hua, former vice-president at the World Bank, has been appointed the second vice-chair of the ISSB. Hua, who has held roles at the African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank and IFC, is the 14th member of the board, and completes its membership. Sue Lloyd, vice-chair of the International Accounting Standards Board, is the other vice-chair, while the ISSB will be chaired by former Danone CEO Emmanuel Faber.

Carlos Tornero has joined the Financial Conduct Authority as a senior ESG specialist, working within its policy and advisory team. Tornero was a senior reporter at Responsible Investor for more than four years before leaving to join Brunswick Group as an ESG associate, his most recent role.

Wiebke Merbeth, head of public affairs and sustainability at BayernInvest, has left her role to join Deloitte as a partner. Merbeth, who spent close to 12 years at HSBC Asset Management before joining BayernInvest, also sits on the German government’s sustainable finance advisory council.

Tim Youmans has joined Calvert as executive director and corporate engagement strategist. He leaves his role as head of North America at Federated Hermes’ engagement wing, EOS.

Lily Tomson has left her role as head of networks at ShareAction to join the sustainable finance team at the University of Cambridge. She will be working on a feasibility study for a 1.5C-aligned fossil-free corporate bond index.

Lauren Gellhaus, head of ESG at Texas’ Teachers Retirement System, left her role at the start of August. Gellhaus had been at the fund since 2017, and in her current role – the first time the fund had appointed a head of ESG – from January 2020.

Paul Smeets has left his role as professor of philanthropy and sustainable finance at Maastricht University to take up a similar position at the University of Amsterdam. Smeets, who completed his PhD at Maastricht in 2012, has held a number of academic roles at the university since then.

Luba Nikulina has joined IFM Investors as its chief strategy officer. Nikulina spent 17 years at consultancy Willis Towers Watson, most recently as its global head of research. She has sat on a number of sustainability-related groups, including the UK government’s social impact investing taskforce, as well as co-chairing the Investment Consultants Sustainability Working Group.

Amanda Giorgi has left her role as senior research analyst at the Climate Bonds Initiative to join MSCI as a climate change specialist.