People moves

M&G hires Jockers for ESG focus in real estate business

Shifting focus from responsible investment to ESG to align with wider M&G business

M&G Real Estate has appointed Laura Jockers (pictured) as its global head of ESG amid a restructuring of the team’s focus.

The group has decided to shift emphasis within real estate from responsible investment to ESG to align with M&G’s broader policies and strategies.

Jockers will lead this team, reporting to Jose Pellicer, head of investment strategy and research at M&G Real Estate. She joins from the Howard de Walden Estate where she was head of sustainability and prior to this she was a sustainability consultant at JLL.

Jockers will be responsible for driving the implementation of the ESG strategy, and enhancing the existing net-zero work by M&G funds.

“M&G is already making great strides to ensure ESG is at the forefront of its global real estate portfolio and three GRESB 5-star ratings are testament to the hard work already being done. My goal is to ensure we maintain these high standards whilst also working to achieve our longer-term commitments,” Jockers said.

M&G Real Estate has committed to achieving net-zero carbon by 2050 across its global real estate portfolio.

Brown Advisory expands sustainable fixed income team with two hires

Analysts join following Global Sustainable Total Return Bond strategy launch in February

Brown Advisory has recruited two fixed income analysts from BNP Paribas and Global Evolution to join its global sustainable fixed income team.

Yacine El-Mohri was most recently a financials credit trading desk analyst at BNP Paribas, while Eriko Miyazaki-Ross (pictured) was an emerging markets corporate credit portfolio manager and UK branch manager at Global Evolution.

The hires follow the launch of the firm’s Global Sustainable Total Return Bond strategy in February. It is managed by Ryan Myerberg in London, and Chris Diaz and Colby Stilson in the US. Since the launch, assets in the fund have reached $265m.

See also:- Brown Advisory creates ESG framework for sovereign bonds

Logie Fitzwilliams, head of international business and global head of sales at Brown Advisory, said: “Yacine and Eriko bring with them a wealth of analytical experience from well recognised institutions, and it is clear their expertise will add yet further depth to our already accomplished and growing fixed income proposition which is seeing strong client demand.”

Ex-UK anti-slavery commissioner joins CCLA

Dame Sara Thornton to be a modern slavery consultant, while Dr Martin Buttle becomes lead of the 'better work' initiative

CCLA Investment Management has appointed Dame Sara Thornton (pictured right) as a consultant on modern slavery.

She joins the charity asset manager having recently served a three-year stint as UK independent anti-slavery commissioner. Thornton will work on the Find it, Fix it, Prevent it initiative, which tackles modern slavery in investees’ supply chains.

During a 33-year career in policing, Thornton served as chief constable of Thames Valley Police between 2007 and 2015.

She said: “As we all know there is a long way to go, but the Find it, Fix it, Prevent it programme continues to gather momentum including spurning a spin-off initiative, Investors Against Slavery and Trafficking Asia Pacific. Finance is the lever that can move the entire global economy and investors, in particular, have a key role to play in eradicating forced labour across the globe.

“While government has a responsibility to protect the people, business has a responsibility to respect the people. There is an ongoing debate between whether it is regulation and voluntarism by the private sector that are required to solve the issue of modern slavery.

“I firmly believe there is a need for both. If we look at other regions such as the United States and the European Union, they are moving fast on implementing various bans on goods made with forced labour. Investors are by their nature future-facing and must play an important role in urging companies to tackle the scourge of modern slavery.”

The firm has also hired Dr Martin Buttle to lead its Better Work scheme, which focuses on ensuring fair and sustainable working conditions for labour forces that are aligned with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

He joins from responsible investing charity ShareAction, where he was head of good work.

Peter Hugh Smith, CCLA chief executive, said: “I am thrilled to welcome both Dame Sara and Martin to the CCLA team. This is about CCLA building an even more meaningful capability, strengthening our team of people that can make a genuine contribution to helping to solve problems in the real world.

“There is a lot of talk about sustainability in investing, but we really have to stop and ask ourselves, is what we are actually doing having a real-world impact? We really want to see other investors join us as signatories on Find it, Fix it, Prevent it to fight modern slavery and to get behind our other Better Work initiatives.

“At CCLA, we believe that healthy markets are underpinned by healthy communities and we call on the investment industry to collaborate to drive real-world change for everyone’s benefit.”

This article first appeared on ESG Clarity’s sister title Portfolio Adviser.

Quilter hires responsible investment head from PRI

Marisol Hernandez replaces Eimear Toomey

Quilter Investors has hired ex-Principles of Responsible Investment (PRI) responsible investment adviser Marisol Hernandez to head up its responsible investment team.

Hernandez, who replaces Eimear Toomey, will develop and implement the firm’s responsible policies and activities and report into chief investment officer Marcus Brookes.

See also: – Eimear Toomey discusses the benefits of opening conversations around our emotional responses to climate change

At the PRI, Hernandez was head of asset owners, developing programmes for the selection, appointment and monitoring of investment managers and passive investments. She was also responsible developing the first industry standard responsible investment due diligence questionnaire and guide for hedge funds, helping with the implementation of responsible investment across the hedge fund industry.

“There can still be a lot of confusion on terminology and approaches and as such it has become crucial to be clear and precise in what it is we want to achieve in this space, where people, profits and planet can co-exist,” Hernandez said.

“Responsible investment has surged in popularity in recent years, but with that has brought challenges that need to be addressed.”

BNY Mellon hires head of responsible investing from Neuberger

Global role for Manisha Ali

BNY Mellon Investor Solutions has hired former Neuberger Berman ESG portfolio specialist Manisha Ali as its head of responsible investing, the firm announced on Wednesday.

The role is a new one at BNY Mellon and is global in scope.

Ali had worked at Neuberger Berman since 2017 and was the firm’s portfolio specialist for its core equity and sustainable equity strategies.

In her role at BNY Mellon, Ali “will help build and shape the Investors Solutions Responsible Investing franchise, and work to identify best-in-class solutions”, the company stated. “Manisha will partner with investment management, wealth management and family office clients at different stages of their responsible investing journey.”

Ali is based in New York and reports to global head of investor solutions Sinead Colton Grant.

Previously, Ali had also been an associate director at Russell Investments, working on investment strategy and outsourced chief investment officer options for institutional clients.

BNY’s investor solutions group oversaw $25.1bn in assets as of the end of June.

Parmenion appoints duo to ethical committee

Exclusive: Two new members to independently assess fund providers

Parmenion has appointed two new members to its Ethical Oversight Committee (EOC), ESG Clarity can reveal.

Cleona Lira and Shri Krishnansen (pictured) have joined the panel that supervises the Parmenion Investment Management range. The committee, chaired by Chris Hegarty, is tasked with independently assessing fund providers and fund mandates to ensure alignment with Parmenion’s ethical profiles.

Lira has over 20 years’ experience in financial services and joins from Celtic Financial Planning. She has also worked at Throgmorton Private Capital and 2plan Wealth Management.

Krishnansen has worked in financial services for 13 years with a focus on sustainability. He supports early-stage start-ups as chief operating officer for Enso Corporation, and volunteers for not-for-profit Money Health Collective.

Peter Dalgliesh, managing director for Parmenion IM, said: “I am pleased to welcome Shri and Cleona to our Ethical Oversight Committee, where their complementary experience and skills in sustainable finance will help us enhance our ethical investment solutions offering to advisers.”

New member Lira commented: “Throughout my career I have pursued a passion for sustainable investment solutions, working to raise the profile and increase the opportunities for investors in this space. I am excited to be joining the EOC working with Parmenion to help improve the quality and reliability of the sustainable investments available to the investor.”

While Krishnansen added: “I have spent years working with institutional and retail investors, educating them about the incredible opportunity presented by sustainable investing. I hope to be able to bring my experience to bear as a member of Parmenion’s Ethical Oversight Committee and I look forward to getting involved in their innovative solutions for advisers.”

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