RI People & Appointments, October 14: Tim Gardener, Ceres, Financial Reporting Council, FMO, Invest Europe, Impax

Tim Gardener, one of the foremost figures in UK investment consulting, has died, according to a eulogy posted online by Mercer Wealth President Rich Nuzum. Gardener was closely associated with the Marsh McLennan-owned advisory firm where he spent more than three decades, helming its global business between 1998 and 2008 before stepping down to serve as Mercer’s first Global CIO. He left the firm in 2010 and spent seven years at AXA Investment Managers before returning to investment consulting as a Partner at AON Hewitt. Nuzum noted that Gardener established Mercer as a leader in incorporating ESG considerations into investment policy, saying: “Tim invested in our responsible investment capabilities for years before there was a viable market, long before it was an industry trend.” Nuzum’s article has prompted an outpouring from former colleagues, with many referencing his characteristic “head-in-hands” gesture. Emma Hunt, Head of Responsible Investment at St. James’s Place Wealth Management, wrote: “Tim always made me think, smile and grimace…usually in the same minute. His contribution to Investment, to Mercer and to People, was huge, and to all of us that he mentored, he remains in everything we do.”

Shanna Cleveland, formerly Director of Ceres’ Carbon Asset Risk Initiative, is now Program Officer, Clean Energy at the Barr Foundation, the Boston-based philanthropic body. She previously worked at the Conservation Law Foundation. Link

Laura Devenney has joined Boston Trust Walden, the rebranded US SRI firm, as a Senior ESG Research Analyst. She was previously at Ceres where she was Manager, Carbon Asset Risk.

Eric de Montgolfier has been announced as incoming CEO of Invest Europe, the trade association for Europe’s private equity, venture capital and infrastructure sectors, the largest of its kind globally. De Montgolfier currently oversees the French operations of Brussels-listed investment manager Gimv, in which he is a Partner.

Casey Forester has joined the sales team at Impax Asset Management, the UK-based sustainability specialist, to focus on renewable energy infrastructure, the FT reports. She was previously at Foresight.Simon Dingemans has taken up the post of Chair at the UK’s Financial Reporting Council (FRC), succeeding former banker Sir Win Bischoff, as the accounting, governance and stewardship watchdog prepares to transition into the Audit, Reporting and Governance Authority (ARGA). The newly-established regulator will have stronger powers to investigate and punish malpractice in the UK audit market after a damning government-commissioned report into the effectiveness of the FRC. RI previously reported the naming of Dingemans – a former GlaxoSmithKline CFO – as the UK government’s preferred candidate for the role. Sir Jon Thompson, former head of HM Revenue & Customs, the tax department, take over as CEO from Stephen Haddrill.

Dan Siddy has left his role as E&S Manager, Financial Institutions & Private Equity at Dutch development bank FMO and is available for both consulting and permanent roles according to LinkedIn. Siddy was formerly Head of Sustainable Financial Markets at the IFC and an Environmental Specialist at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

Fulu Makwetla and Kabelo Moja have been appointed to the board of the Southern African Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (SAVCA). Makwetla is the Founding Partner and Managing Director of Third Way Investment Partners, an infrastructure investment firm, while Moja is the CEO of Ascension Capital Partners, a black-owned private equity firm. Samantha Pokroy, a sitting director, was reappointed. According to SAVCA’s annual industry survey, domestic venture capital and private equity investment levels skyrocketed in 2018 compared to previous years.

Candida de Silva and Helena Miles have joined the global equities team at Morgan Stanley Investment Management (MSIM) as Senior Portfolio Specialist and Research Analyst respectively. De Silva was previously BlackRock’s Head of the UK Charities & Endowments, and has held leadership roles at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, BNY Mellon and its subsidiary Newton Investment Management. Miles was formerly an analyst for the luxury goods sector at Capital Group.