RI People & Appointments, Dec. 5: Switzerland’s Ethos seeks Enviro & Social Sustainability Head

Switzerland’s Ethos Foundation, which looks after more than CHF2.3bn (€1.4bn) in assets for over 100 of the country’s pension funds and foundations, is seeking a Head of Environmental & Social Sustainability who will also take up a board position. Ethos said one of the responsibilities of the Geneva-based position would be the planning and supervision of mandates in the area as well as the production of relevant studies and surveys and setting up of external relationships. Ethos currently has two analysts working on environmental and social sustainability issues. Ethos is also seeking an intern for corporate governance to add to its team for the season of annual general meetings from 1 March to 31 May 2012. Link

Erik Breen, Robeco’s Head of Responsible Investing, has been named as a board member of Eumedion, the Dutch institutional corporate governance network. He replaces former Robeco executive Ronald Florisson, who was vice-chairman of the Executive board. Frederik van Beuningen, CEO of Teslin, is the new vice-chairman. Breen has taken up the position of treasurer. Link

Michael Lawson and Paul Rosenstiel have been named to the board of the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) by California Governor Jerry Brown. Lawson is a former partner at law firm Skadden Arps Slate Meagher and Flom. Rosenstiel is a principal at De La Rosa & Co. Investment Bankers.The National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI), the US trade body, has elected four new directors. They are: Bob Burton, managing director of Lambert, Edwards & Associates; Mark Donohue, senior director at Impax Laboratories; David Myers, vice president, investor relations of Express Scripts; and Deborah Pawlowski, CEO of Kei Advisors.

Salah Jaidah, country chief for Deutsche Bank in Qatar, has been named chairman of the bank’s Islamic finance business. Ibrahim Qasim was named head of Islamic finance structuring, according to a Reuters report. “Deutsche Bank is committed to the development of the Islamic finance industry and will continue expanding its sharia-compliant product offerings and solutions,” the bank said.

William Rickett, the former Director General, Energy, Department of Energy & Climate Change and Chairman of the International Energy Agency, has joined the board of biomass energy firm Helius Energy plc. Alastair Salvesen and William Ingram Hill were also appointed to the Board, the latter as Chief Operating Officer.

Mark Ashworth has been appointed to represent independent trustee Law Debenture on the BP Pension Fund Trustee Board. He replaces David Felder who had been Law Debenture’s representative on the Trustee Board since 2004. David Cureton has been re-appointed as a member-nominated Director of BP Pension Trustees Ltd.