Lise Kingo has taken on the role of Executive Director of the UN Global Compact after being appointed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in June. Kingo replaces Georg Kell who has joined Anglo-German asset manager Arabesque as Vice Chairman-designate. Kingo was previously Chief of Staff, Executive Vice-President and member of the Executive Management at Novo Nordisk A/S for 12 years. Kingo said: “It is an honour and a privilege to take over the leadership of the UN Global Compact. I have a long-standing passion for sustainability and extensive experience working to link values and principles with global business strategy and practices.”
Jeannette Andrews has left her role as Senior Analyst, Responsible Investment at USS Investment Management (USS). It is understood she has taken up a similar role with a London-based fund manager, but the role has yet to be confirmed.
Andrews joined USS in July 2008 and made senior promotion in 2013.
Jerome Tagger, Director, Membership and Operations at the New York-based, Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) has left the role and is currently weighing up future professional options while working as a Strategic Advisor on impact investment and responsible business and finance.
Tagger had been with GIIN for two and half years and was formerly Chief Operating Officer for the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment.
Natalie Beinisch has joined the Responsible Investment team at Aegon Asset Management as Engagement Manager, reporting to Harald Walkate, global Head of Responsible Investment. Beinisch joins AAM after leading the Academic Network at the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) in London and lecturing at the University of Amsterdam. She will focus on developing and expanding AAM’s global engagement program.
Angelo Natale has been named Director, Business Development, Italy at Hermes Investment Management, the £29.8bn fund manger that’s owned by the BT Pension Scheme. Based in London, Angelo will report to Paul Voûte, Head of European Business Development. His appointment coincides with the recent registration of Hermes’ UCITS fund range in Italy; he joins from Duemme SGR SpA, the asset management arm of Gruppo Banca Esperia where he was Senior Director, Business Development.
Sir Adrian Cadbury, author of the UK’s seminal report on corporate governance, has passed away. Cadbury’s 1992 report laid the groundwork for today’s corporate governance code in the UK. Cadbury, former chairman of UK food and drinks group Cadbury Schweppes, was 86.
M&G Investments has hired Ominder Dhillon, the former Managing Director, Business Development & Client Service at environmental fund firm Impax Asset Management, as global head of institutional distribution.
Olivier Collombin, former partner at Lombard Odier, the Swiss private bank has joined Conser Invest’s board of directors. Founded in 2007, Conser Invest is an independent asset manager, entirely dedicated to sustainable finance, offering advisory and investment management services. Led by three partners, Angela de Wolff, Natacha Guerdat and Jean Laville, Conser is a Swiss leading independent player in responsible investing.
Kai-Uwe Ricke has been appointed as the new Chairman of Swiss renewables investor SUSI Partners. Ricke, who joined SUSI’s board in 2011, is a former Chief Executive of German telecoms giant Deutsche Telekom. According to SUSI, his appointment underlined its expansion into Germany and beyond. When not overseeing the Zurich-based firm, Ricke serves as Partner of Delta Partners, an investment firm specialising in the telecoms, media and digital (TMD) sectors. Said SUSI: “Ricke’s board experience, along with his know-how as a senior executive, entrepreneur and private-equity investor, have already proven to be very valuable for SUSI.”The creator and former head of J.P. Morgan’s Social Finance business Christina Leijonhufvud has co-launched a new consulting firm for institutional investors interested in developing impact investment strategies. The firm, called Tideline, has been founded by Leijonhufvud, Ben Thornley, former head of the global research and consulting practice at Pacific Community Ventures, and Kim Wright-Violich, former CEO of Schwab Charitable.
Mercer Investments is seeking maternity leave cover, three days per week, for the role of Manager Research in Responsible Investment. The role reports to the Head of Equities within Manager Research, but works closely with members of the Responsible Investment team. The role is a combination of maintaining coverage of existing sustainability themed and SRI investment managers; extending that coverage, particularly to meet client demand; and contributing to ad hoc research requests and manager search requests. Link
The Social Investment Business, one of the leading social finance organisations in the UK, is seeking a new chair. It is looking for someone to be an advocate for the sector, with the standing and ability to influence government and the profile to speak publicly with authority. The closing date for applications is 11 October.
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The UK’s Investment Association has appointed seven new directors to its board. The new board members are Maxime Carmignac from Carmignac, Michael Cohen from Capital International, Paul Feeney from Old Mutual Wealth, Alex Hoctor-Duncan from BlackRock Investment Management, Kim McFarland from Investec Asset Management, Joanna Munro from HSBC Global Asset Management and Mike O’Shea from Premier Asset Management. Four existing board members were re-elected: Andrew Formica from Henderson Group, Peter Harrison from Schroders, Andrew Laing from Aberdeen Asset Management and Mark Zinkula from Legal & General Investment Management. The board now has 18 members.
US-based Trillium Asset Management has appointed Jack Robinson as its new vice chair and portfolio manager. Robinson has over three decades of experience working in the SRI field, most recently at Brown Advisory. He currently serves on the board of NASDAQ-listed renewable firm Abengoa Yield and as a trustee of Suffield Academy, where he chairs the investment committee.
Impax Asset Management, the UK-based sustainability investment specialist, has appointed David Winborne as a senior portfolio manager.
He was previously a member of the in-house asset management team at Tesco Pension Investment where he had joint responsibility for the successful development, launch and management of a new global equities investment platform for Tesco’s pension fund.
Martin Billhardt will resign as Chief Executive of PNE Wind AG at the end of September as part of a larger management reshuffle at the listed German wind power firm. According to a spokesman, a replacement for Billhardt is already being sought. His resignation also coincides with the nomination of six entirely new candidates for the company’s board. As before, two of the board candidates will represent Volker Friedrichsen, PNE’s biggest shareholder with a 15% stake. Prior to the announcement of his resignation, Billhardt and his supporters on PNE’s board had been feuding with Friedrichsen and his allies. This led to an acrimonious annual meeting last June – now to be repeated in late October – as well a lawsuit against Friedrichsen. Billhardt’s resignation and PNE’s new board are meant to put the feuding to rest.
Link to previous RI story
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