STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED THIS WEEK
People moves
JP Morgan Asset Management has hired Shizuko Ohmi as head of investment stewardship for Japan. Based in Tokyo, Ohmi will be responsible for leading corporate engagement with Japanese investments and overseeing proxy voting. He will report to Jennifer Wu, global head of sustainable investing. Before JP Morgan AM, Ohmi was at Amundi in Japan, where she was most recently head of the firm’s ESG department since its inception in 2015…
Federated Hermes has made two hires in a move to bolster its impact team. They are director Amélie Thévenet and senior analyst Jordan Patel. Both will report to Ingrid Kukuljan, head of impact investing. Thévenet is expected to be a co-portfolio manager of the firm’s Impact Opportunities Fund, subject to internal approvals, while Patel will be providing company-specific and thematic research. Thévenet was previously at Jupiter Asset Management, where she spent 13 years of her career, most recently as global emerging markets equities fund manager. Patel joins from Titan Capital Management, where he was an equities analyst for three years…
Morningstar has appointed Hortense Bioy in the newly created role of director of sustainability research for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (Emea) and Asia-Pacific, effective immediately. Bioy, who most recently served as Morningstar’s director for passive strategies and sustainability research for Europe, will be responsible for driving and promoting sustainable research across Emea and Apac. Based in London, she will report to Jeffrey Ptak, head of manager research and will be working closely with Jon Hale, director of sustainability research for the Americas…
Funds
Vontobel Asset Management has launched the Vontobel Fund II – Duff & Phelps Global Listed Infrastructure fund in cooperation with Duff & Phelps, an affiliated manager of US-based Virtus Investment Partners. The fund has a total return approach that aims to provide stable income, capital appreciation, low risk and long-term inflation protection. With currently $130m in assets, the fund invests globally in publicly traded owners and operators of physical infrastructure assets. ESG aspects are also integrated into the research process by placing an emphasis on corporate governance, capital stewardship and sustainable cash flows…
Nuveen has announced the initial close of its Global Impact Strategy, a private equity fund. Available to global institutional investors, the strategy secured $150m in commitments toward its targeted $400m offering. The strategy seeks to drive positive change in two sustainable development challenges – inclusive growth and resource efficiency. The strategy will target a 40-60% allocation to each theme. Six of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals will be supported by the strategy, which include no poverty, zero hunger, good health and wellbeing, reduced inequalities, responsible consumption and reduction, and climate action…
