Alya Z Kayal named ESG head at Affirmative Investment Management, Ian Learmonth new CEO at Clean Energy Finance Corporation

APPOINTMENT OF THE MONTH

Alya Z Kayal has joined dedicated green and impact bond fund management company Affirmative Investment Management (AIM) as director of ESG strategy and policy. She was previously director of policy and programs at US SIF: The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment.

Kayal’s career has focused on using investments to advance responsible business practices globally. “My work on child labour in US imports, managing sustainability research at Calvert Investments for 17 years, and advancing public policy in the US have helped shape my career path,” she explains. “Having lived in developing countries and travelled extensively, I understand the tremendous impact of business on people and our planet. I know that investments can – and have – a positive difference in the world. Sustainable investment is a vehicle for positive change – it’s quite simply a smarter way to invest.”

In her new role, Kayal will be helping to build AIM’s outreach, advising on ESG policies and emerging issues, and strengthening AIM’s integration of ESG and sustainability factors into its investment decision-making process.

Says Kayal: “It is a privilege to join a fixed income investment manager whose core DNA is about promoting global best practices and where all of the investments focus on building resilient communities and shifting to low-carbon economies.”

Alya Kayal

 

The Australian government-owned green bank, Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), has appointed Ian Learmonth as its new CEO. Learmonth’s background is in financial services, both in Australia and internationally. He has advised and invested on a range of large-scale infrastructure projects, including renewable energy technologies.

 

Learmonth, who will take up his new role on 15 May, currently leads the impact investing team at Social Ventures Australia, which has a strong cross-over with CEFC investment activities, particularly in the areas of energy-efficient, affordable housing and the built environment.

On his appointment, CEFC chair Jillian Broadbent said: “The board of the CEFC is delighted to welcome Ian as the new CEO. His diverse experience, demonstrated leadership and strategic thinking will serve the CEFC well in the next phase of our activities as we continue to deliver on our mission to catalyse new investment into the clean energy sector. This is an important time in the evolution of Australia's energy markets and indeed the CEFC.

Learmonth said: "I look forward to leading the CEFC to fulfil its role in increasing the flows of finance into the clean energy sector and contributing to efforts to meet Australia's targeted reductions in CO2 emissions."

Ian Learmouth

 

RPMI Railpen (the Railways Pension Scheme) has appointed Leo George as head of sustainable ownership. George has been with Railpen for over eight years.

Leo George
 

Eric Holterhues will become the new managing director of cooperative and social investor Oikocredit Netherlands. He joins on 1 May from Triodos Bank, where he held various positions, including head of arts and culture at Triodos Investment Management. 

Sustainable tourism expert Graham Miller has become the new chairman of Considerate Hoteliers. Miller holds a chair in sustainability in business at the University of Surrey and is executive dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Considerate Hoteliers specialises in helping hospitality businesses reduce their environmental impact.

Graham Miller

 

James Holley has been appointed head of ESG at Bridgepoint. He was formerly KPMG’s UK head of responsible investment.

Iain Anderson, executive chairman of Cicero Group, has joined the advisory council of the Institute of Business Ethics.The advisory council meets bi-annually to offer support and guidance to the Institute on its work programme and strategy.

Capgemini has made Christine Hodgson head of group corporate and social responsibility and a member of the group executive committee. Hodgson has worked at Capgemini for 19 years in a number of roles. She also chairs the UK’s Women’s Business Network.

Matthew Trevaskis has been appointed head of electric vehicles (EV) at the Renewable Energy Association. His role is to champion the use of ultra-low emission vehicles, such as plug-in hybrids and fully electric vehicles, in the UK. In 2005, Trevaskis founded Ecodrive, first an EV fleet trialling company and now an independent transport consultancy.

Matthew Trevaskis
 

ReFED– a collaborative, cross-sector effort of 40 organisations committed to reducing food waste in the US – has hired Chris Cochran as its first executive director. Cochran was previously senior manager of corporate sustainability at Walmart.

Lightsource Renewable Energy is expanding into the US energy market and has announced a new North American management team. Based in San Francisco, CEO Tim Derrick, COO Kevin Christy and CCO Katherine Ryzhaya will drive the company’s deployment of large-scale solar and energy storage solutions in the US market. Derrick and Christy previously co-founded and led PV developer Axio Power. Ryzhaya joins from Advanced Microgrid Solutions, a company she co-founded.

SgurrEnergy, part of Wood Group’s clean energy business, has hired Claus Hjoerringgaard as its new director of clean energy, based at the firm’s Glasgow headquarters. Hjoerringgaard has held a number of global senior positions, most recently with Mott MacDonald and Fichtner Consulting Engineers.

Claus Hjoerringga
 

Jonathan Wills is now CEO of the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI), succeeding David Clarke, who passed away at the beginning of February. Wills has worked for the ETI in a variety of roles since 2011, most recently as programme delivery director. 

John Wills

 

The ETI is a £400m industry- and government-funded research institute into low-carbon energy system planning and technology development to address UK energy and climate change targets.

ESG  appointments 

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