Marie Baumgarts new head of sustainability at Sweden's SEB, Helen Clarkson named CEO of The Climate Group

Appointment of the month

Nordic financial services group SEB has appointed Marie Baumgarts as its new head of sustainability. Baumgarts was most recently director, corporate responsibility at telecoms operator Tele2.

Baumgarts started work straight after graduation in 2000. Her first position was as a project manager for real estate projects at the Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm. “At the time it was almost impossible to get an environmental job,” she says. “It was still too early for sustainability and corporate responsibility in business.”

Drawn to the CR sector by a “deep and profound interest in societal issues and in providing the same opportunities for everyone”, Baumgarts’ career has seen her working in areas that have interested her the most: the environment, due diligence, human rights and “defining a corporate ethical compass”.

She has previously consulted on sustainability and climate issues for EY, and has also worked as a project manager on major infrastructure projects in Sweden.

SEB has for many years worked systematically to integrate economic, social and environmental responsibility throughout all activities. It is the only Nordic bank included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and Baumgarts is hoping to “take the next step in what a bank can offer when it comes to sustainability”.
 


Marie Baumgarts
 

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has appointed Nandita Parshad as managing director of its energy and natural resources business group. The group has more than 90 staff covering EBRD’s entire region of operations. It invests over €2 billion year (approximately a quarter of the Bank’s annual business activity) with a current portfolio of over €10bn.

Parshad was previously director of the EBRD's power and energy team at a time when the bank became the largest renewable energy financier and enabler in its regions of operations.

“I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead the group at a time when the EBRD has committed to scale up significantly its financing for the green economy,” said Parshad. “The bank's countries of operations face great challenges in ensuring that they have secure energy at prices that are affordable and competitive, while addressing climate change and air quality. The bank is committed to supporting them in meeting those challenges through investments across the sector, from sustainable energy production to the networks and interconnections that drive regional integration and energy diversity.”

Prior to joining the EBRD in 1992, Parshad worked for the World Bank in Washington, DC and in New Delhi, India.
 


Nandita Parshad

 

International NGO Pact has a new chief operating officer, Christian Loucq. Loucq joined Pact two years ago as its officer in charge of global engagement and strategy. The NGO has also appointed Miguel Granier to lead Pact Ventures, a business unit focused on impact investing and social enterprise development. Granier joins from Invested Development, an impact investing management firm that he founded in Boston in 2009.

Judy Kuszewski is the new chair of the GRI Global Sustainability Standards Board. Kuszewski was recently appointed chief executive of international sustainability consultancy Sancroft International Ltd.

Netherlands-based social investor Oikocredit has hired Thos Gieskes as its new managing director. Gieskes, who joins in April, was most recently CEO of Rabobank Australia and managing director for the Rabobank Australia & New Zealand Group.


Thos Gieskes

The Climate Group has appointed two new people to its global leadership team, effective from March. Helen Clarkson will join as CEO and Viki Cooke has been appointed as trustee to the UK board. Clarkson is currently COO at Forum for the Future while Cooke is a founding partner of research consultancy BritainThinks.

French media group Vivendi has appointed Marie-Annick Darmaillac as vice president, corporate social responsibility. A trained judge, Darmaillac was previously head of internal talent promotion and development at Canal+Group.

Isabelle Millat is now head of sustainable investment solutions at Societe Generale Corporate & Investment Banking (SGCIB). The newly created position sees Millat responsible for coordinating all sustainable and responsible investment initiatives. She was previously SGCIB’s senior product engineer.


Isabelle Millat
 
 

Shaun Spiers, is the new executive director of the charitable think tank Green Alliance. He was formerly chief executive of the Campaign to Protect Rural England.

David Bird is to become chief executive of Co-operative Energy. Bird, who joins in April, is currently with E.on, where he is managing director of its UK residential and metering business.

Climate Bonds CEO Sean Kidney has been appointed as an NGO representative to the European Commission High Level Group on Sustainable Finance.

Peter Damgaard Jensen is the new chair of the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change. Jensen is CEO of Danish pension fund manager PKA.

US SIF: The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment has announced the election or re-election of six new members to its board of directors. They are: Steve Falci, Pax World Management; Alyssa Greenspan, Community Capital Management; Bruce Kahn, Sustainable Insight Capital Management; Jonas Kron, Trillium Asset Management; Craig Metrick, Cornerstone Capital; and Jackie VanderBrug, US Trust/Bank of America.

Ethical bank Triodos has appointed Kees Vendrik as chief economist. He was previously a board member and vice-president of the Netherlands Court of Audit.

21st Century Fox has named Liba Wenig Rubenstein as its senior vice president of social impact. Rubenstein joins from Tumblr, where she was head of social impact and public policy.

Swedish financial services group Nordea has appointed Erik Feldt as its head of group sustainability. Feldt was previously the group’s head of HR wealth management. Nordea’s current head of group sustainability, Åse Bergstedt, becomes chief sustainability strategist.

Ashley Elliot has joined the Global Impact Investing Network as global liaison for East Africa, based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Elliot is a managing partner at research and strategy firm Sofala Partners, which advises organisations operating in sub-Saharan Africa.

Global engineering and infrastructure advisory company Aurecon has hired Alex Wonhas as managing director to lead its energy and resources business. Wonhas was previously executive director at Australia’s national science agency, leading its environment, energy and resources sector.

Glasgow-based energy and sustainability consultancy Carbon Futures has a new director, David Russell. He was formerly an associate with architectural practice Anderson Bell + Christie.


David Russell
With thanks to Miriam Heale, Allen & York www.allen-york.com

 

CSR  appointments 

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