RI People & Appointments, Jan. 7: New MD at microfinance body Oikocredit

David Woods has become Managing Director at Oikocredit, the microfinance investor, taking over from Ben Simmes who is retiring after 16 years at the organisation in a variety of roles. Woods is a former executive at ABN Amro who was most recently CEO of a regional investment bank in the United Arab Emirates. Simmes will move to a new role in the microfinance sector as chairman of NPM, Platform for Inclusive Finance, in the Netherlands. In November, it was announced that Eugene Ellmen was leaving his role as Executive Director of Canada’s Social Investment Organization (SIO) to become the new Canada director for Oikocredit. Announcement

Falko Paetzold has left his role as senior sustainability analyst at Vontobel to focus on his PhD in sustainable investing at the University of Zurich. Paetzold, who launched the “Green Buzz” events series, will also take a role as a researcher at Sustainability and Technology (SusTec) group at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH).

Howell Jackson, Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, has been appointed as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the College Retirement Equities Fund (CREF), the US educational sector investment giant. He takes over from Maceo Sloan, who remains a trustee. In addition, Eugene Flood no longer serves as Executive Vice President of the TIAA–CREF Fund Complex. Filing

Ingo Weber has joined the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) as its third European liaison, alongside Harry Hummels in Amsterdam and Susannah Nicklin in London. Weber, founder of Bridge Impact Capital Ltd, is based in Zurich and will work with the impact investment communities in Switzerland, Germany, and Austria.

Paul Hodgson, former chief research analyst and media spokesperson at governance research firm GMI Ratings, has left the company after 12 years. Hodgson, who joined predecessor firm The Corporate Library in 2001, is planning to remain in the corporate governance area. He said: “I am still available for comment and analysis on the subjects of governance and compensation, as I plan to continue my work of almost 20 years in the area.”Arjan Keijzer, Program Manager at GRESB, the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark, has decided to leave to become an independent sustainability consultant after two years with the organisation. GRESB is also seeking to recruit a Head of Sustainability. The Amsterdam-based role involves managing the professional development of GRESB’s sustainability tools and services, including its annual survey.

Mario Boccucci has been appointed as the Head of the UN-REDD Programme Secretariat in Geneva. Boccucci is currently the Chief of the Terrestrial Ecosystems Unit in UN Environment Programme and will succeed Mette Loyche Wilkie, who has been acting as the Interim Head of the UN-REDD Programme Secretariat for the past six months. The UN-REDD Programme is the United Nations initiative on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) in developing countries. Announcement

Denise Bode has resigned as chief executive of the American Wind Energy Association, to return to private practice as a tax attorney. Bode joined the trade association in January 2009 and previously led the American Clean Skies Foundation, and before that the Independent Petroleum Association of America. AWEA Senior Vice President for Public Policy Rob Gramlich will be interim CEO until a permanent replacement is found. Release

Dr. Lailai Li has been appointed as Director of World Resources Institute (WRI) China. She was previously Deputy Director of the China Urban Sustainable Transport Research Centre at the Ministry of Transport and Director of the Asia Region for the Stockholm Environment Institute. The WRI is an environmental think tank and WRI China was established in 2008. Link

Vigeo, the Paris-based environmental, social and governance (ESG) house, has advertised a vacancy for a marketing director. The role requires 10 years experience in business or consulting and is available immediately. Link (French)