RI People & Appointments, October 2: the latest ESG hires and departures

Pieter Furnée has been appointed to the newly created role of Global Head of Responsible Investing Coverage at Deutsche Asset Management. Working closely with Roelfien Kuijpers – Head of Responsible Investing on Deutsche’s Executive Committee – Furnée will now lead the German banking group’s responsible investment efforts. He will take up his new duties in addition to his current role as Head of Global Client Group, Benelux. Prior to joining the firm, Furnée worked for a local Dutch Asset Manager, NNEK, as well as in various roles at Zurich Financial Services.

Annemarie Arens has stepped down as General Manager of LuxFLAG, the Luxembourg Fund Labeling Agency that labels responsible investment financial products. Formerly with RBC Investor Services Bank, she has decided to “pursue other personal interests” according to LuxFLAG. She will be replaced by Mario Mantrisi at the start of next year. Mantrisi has held positions as AVP and Head of Custody Operations at respected Luxembourg banks and as Chief Strategy and Research Officer and Executive Board Member at Kneip. Most recently he co-founded business expert community group Inreg.

Wim Henk Steenpoorte has been named as a member of APG’s Executive Board responsible for Pension Fund Services. He was formerly a member of the Executive Board of Dutch financial group SNS REAAL and Chairman of the Board of REAAL NV (VIVAT Verzekeringen). APG is the Dutch pensions investor owned by civil service pension giant ABP.

Katherine O’Regan has reportedly departed from her “landmark” role as first female Chair of A$10bn (€6.6bn) Australian superannuation fund, Local Government Super, after less than three months in the role – giving up both her chairpersonship and directorship. She will be replaced by Bruce Miller, who previously served as the fund’s Chair from 2013 to 2015. O’Regan has stepped down, according to reports, due to an eligibility issue.

Rachel Elwell, Investment Office and Staff Pension Director at Royal London Mutual Insurance Society, has reportedly been named Border to Coast Pensions Partnership’s inaugural CEO. Border to Coast Pensions Partnership (BCPP) is one of the eight recently pooled UK local government pension funds. Reporting to Chris Hitchen, Chairman of the £43bn fund, she will be responsible for preparing the fund to start managing assets in 2018. Elwell will take up her role from December 2017.

Quilter Cheviot, Old Mutual Wealth’s UK-based £22.5bn discretionary investment firm, specialising in charities, trusts, and pension funds, has appointed three new Investment Managers: Mats Arthursson, Suneet Kumar and James Gatehouse.Aled Jones, Principal, Responsible Investment at Mercer, has stepped down from his role at the global consultancy firm. Mercer confirmed Jones’ departure and told RI that an announcement on his replacement would be made in due course. It is not currently known where Jones will move to next.

Timo Ritakallio, President and CEO of Finnish pension and insurance giant, Ilmarinen, has been named President and Group Executive Chairman of Finland’s OP Group, IPE reports. He will take up his new role with the financial services company in March 2018 and replaces Reijo Karhinen, who retires after ten years in the role. Ritakallio, Ilmarinen’s CEO since 2015, will also become Chair of OP Corporate Bank’s Board of Directors alongside his new role at the group.

The People’s Trust, a new investment trust being launched on the London Stock Exchange and the Social Stock Exchange, has announced Catherine Howarth, chief executive of ShareAction, as the chair of its independent Shareholder Committee. The panel will provide additional accountability of the chief executive and board of the People’s Trust. The People’s Trust is founded and led by Daniel Godfrey, former chief executive of the UK Investment Association.

Jean Frijns, the former Chief Investment Officer of Dutch civil service pension fund ABP and former Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Delta Lloyd, has stepped down as Chair of FMO’s Supervisory Board. He is replaced by climate change expert, Pier Vellinga – a member of the Supervisory Board since 2008. Frijns is retiring after six years in the role at the €9bn Dutch development bank. Koos Timmermans, Chief Financial Officer of ING Group, was also announced at the extraordinary meeting of the shareholders as the Supervisory Board’s new Chairman of the Audit and Risk Committee, replacing Bert Bruggink. The FMO also officially appointed Fatoumata Bouare as Chief Risk and Finance Officer and re-appointed Linda Broekhuizen as Chief Investment Officer

Hans Sterte, Chief Investment Officer at Skandia, has been appointed to the same role at Sweden’s biggest pension fund Alecta, IPE reports. He takes over from Tony Persson, who has been acting as interim CIO since the sudden departure of Per Frennberg. Frennberg left the €83.5bn fund in May following a disagreement with the Chief Executive, Magnus Billings, over the firm’s response to increasing digitalisation. Sterte will start his new role in early 2018, at which point Persson will go back to his job as head of the company’s interest and strategy group.