Columbia Threadneedle has made two appointments to its responsible investment team, taking the total to 12 members.
Olivia Watson has joined as a senior analyst and Jess Williams as a portfolio analyst. Both are based in London and report to Chris Anker, lead analyst for the EMEA region.
Watson will carry out responsible investment research and engagement on environmental, social and governance issues.
She joins from the Principles for Responsible Investment where she oversaw the development of collaborative investor initiatives and investor engagement on environmental and social issues. Prior to this, she worked in corporate sustainability consultancy and in corporate governance research.
Williams was previously at S&P Global Ratings where she developed sustainable finance products. She has also worked on the Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance at the Climate Policy Initiative in Venice.
At Columbia Threadneedle, she will be responsible for research and analysis on client portfolios from a responsible investment perspective.
Iain Richards, global head of responsible investment, said: “Investors are increasingly seeking to capture the value of effective ESG integration and understand the wider consequences of their investment choices. Olivia and Jess both join with strong experience of sustainable finance and knowledge of social and ethical issues, and will help us to continue to meet our clients’ needs through providing valuable support to our portfolio managers.”
The responsible investment team supports Columbia Threadneedle’s portfolio managers in implementing environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in their portfolios. It also identifies investment opportunities in eight thematic areas.
