Russell Investments has announced the appointment of Mike Clark as director of responsible investment, a new position based in the group’s London office.
Clark brings to the role experience in ESG issues from his position of chairman of Russell Investments’ sustainability council, which he has overseen since its creation in 2009. He has worked at the firm for 18 years, most recently as a director in its pension solutions group.
Clark’s duties will include improving the firm’s ability to apply ESG factors to its investments and supporting the United Nations’ Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), to which Russell signed up in 2009. The UNPRI has grown in prominence for the global investment community, with the number of signatories increasing to 1,200 by April 2013 from only 100 in April 2006.
Russell’s CEO for Europe, Pascal Duval, says in a press statement that Clark’s ‘appointment follows [the] ongoing commitment’ he has had with the sustainability council.
This appointment is doubly significant given that it involved the creation of an entire new department. It demonstrates a continued move toward sustainable asset management following Russell Investments’ decision to begin working with Sustainalytics, a firm that provides ESG research on more than 4,000 companies, in 2011.
‘Consideration of ESG issues is on the rise as clients are addressing [matters] that… previously have been regarded as non-financial,’ explained former head of communications Alexander Jones at the time.
