abrdn strengthens sustainability offering with new ‘Sustainability Group’

23 March 2022

• Chief Sustainability Officer is appointed alongside new sustainability leadership team
• 24 SICAV funds to convert to Article 8 as part of sustainable product expansion

abrdn today announces an evolution to its Sustainable Investing approach with the creation of a new ‘Sustainability Group’. This includes the appointment of Amanda Young to the executive role as Chief Sustainability Officer to lead the group and the sustainability strategy for abrdn’s investments vector.

The newly formed Sustainability Group will provide subject matter expertise to abrdn’s investment processes and support its sustainable investing value chain through generating insights; setting frameworks and standards; ensuring active ownership; and supporting product design and commerciality and client reporting and outcomes.

Previously Global Head of Responsible Investment, Amanda’s new role will see her sit on abrdn’s Investment Vector Executive for investments to ensure that sustainability remains core to its work, meeting clients’ needs and regulatory requirements. She will report to abrdn’s CEOs for investments, Chris Demetriou (UK, EMEA & Americas) and Rene Buehlmann (APAC).

To support her role, Amanda has made a number of key leadership appointments to the Sustainability Group, effective from 1st April:

• Danielle Welsh-Rose – Head of Sustainability APAC and Head of Sustainability Specialists
  In addition to taking on the newly created role of Head of Sustainability APAC, Danielle will lead the group responsible for ensuring that abrdn’s client proposition continues to evolve to meet current and future demand. She will also lead the development of abrdn’s sustainability training academy “Grow Sustainably”. Danielle sits on the Executive Leadership Team in APAC. Her previous role was ESG Investment Director (APAC).
• Mike Everett – Head of Active Ownership
  Mike will continue to lead abrdn’s Active Ownership team who work with teams across the investment vector to ensure that active ownership, including engagement and voting activities, remain at the heart of its investment process. His previous role was Head of Stewardship.
• Eva Cairns – Head of Sustainability Insights and Climate Strategy
  Eva’s team will lead the sustainability research, climate strategy and thought leadership for investments, through strong partnerships across abrdn. They will ensure that its research is core to sustainability standards, innovation and the client proposition. The team will continue to work with the abrdn Research Institute and across the research functions within each of the investment teams to ensure they capitalise on abrdn’s research capabilities. Eva’s previous role was Head of Climate Change Strategy.
• Dan Grandage – Head of Sustainable Investing
  Dan will lead efforts in building abrdn’s common approach to sustainable investing across abrdn. This will include setting the sustainability standards and building investment frameworks for the house and abrdn’s sustainability funds, with ESG integration remaining a core part of the investment process within asset classes. Dan’s previous role was Head of ESG, Real Assets in which he will still retain involvement and oversight of.

Source: abrdn