First Sentier Investors bolsters RI and Corporate Sustainability capabilities with three new appointments
16 March 2022 - Leading global asset manager, First Sentier Investors (FSI), has strengthened its responsible investment (RI) and corprorate sustainability capabilities with three new appointments.
- Joanne Lee has been appointed to the role of Responsible Investment Specialist.? Lee joins the firm’s RI team headed by London-based Global Head of Responsible Investment, Will Oulton. Lee will be based in Hong Kong and be responsible for the delivery and promotion of the firm’s RI strategy and credentials in Asia.?Lee will play an integral role in supporting FSI’s investment teams and working with its clients and other stakeholders in the region. Lee most recently held a Technical Specialist role in the Sustainable Finance team at leading global non-government organisation, WWF International, where she led research projects and produced technical guidance on a range of topics including environmental, social and governance (ESG) integration, nature-related risks, net zero climate alignment, the blue economy and sustainable infrastructure finance.?
- Rebecca Antonini has been appointed to the newly-created position of Head of Corporate Sustainability. In this role, Antonini will deliver and execute on a global strategy to effectively manage the firm’s ESG impacts. She will report to Chief Financial and Strategy Officer, Suzanne Evans, and work alongside the RI team to ensure the business is operating to internationally-accepted best practice standards of sustainability. London-based Antonini brings a unique combination of sustainability and corporate knowledge to the role. She has been with the firm for 15 years, having worked in multiple regions including Australia, Asia and the United Kingdom, in senior Human Resources, governance, change management and project roles.?
- Cressida Grant has been appointed to Head of Corporate Philanthropy. London-based Grant will report to Antonini in the Corporate Sustainability function and lead on the development of the firm’s global philanthropic strategy. Grant previously held the role of Head of Philanthropy at The Prince’s Trust, where she managed relationships with ultra-high net worth donors, established the Prince’s Trust in the US and created a new fundraising stream to engage with the next generation of donors. Prior to this, Grant developed and managed the Stonehage Fleming Charitable Foundation, where she was responsible for developing and managing their philanthropic strategy.?
FSI Chief Executive Officer Mark Steinberg welcomed the new appointments to the global business.?
“Joanne’s appointment supports the investment teams’ commitment to incorporating ESG principles across their processes and strategies. This is central to their investment approach, and underpins our corporate identity.
“We also believe acting responsibly as a business is in the best interest of our clients, and enables us to support our key stakeholder groups including our employees, wider society and our shareholder. Increasingly, corporates are also being assessed and held to account for their business practices and social impacts and how these are aligned with stated responsible investment principles,” Steinberg said.