LGT Vestra has added fund selection expertise to its sustainable model portfolio range with a hire from Aberdeen Standard Investments.
Matthew Wiles has joined the investment team to head up collective ESG and sustainable investment strategies research. He will focus on picking open-ended funds, unit trusts and investment trusts aligned to LGT Vestra’s sustainable framework.
Wiles was previously a senior investment analyst and manager of the ASI MyFolio Sustainable fund range.
The firm has also appointed Sophie Tyrrell, a recent University of St. Andrew’s graduate, as a trainee sustainability analyst. Tyrrell will help develop LGT Vestra’s proprietary sustainability rating tool, which is used to analyse, profile and score investment assets.
The hires follow LGT Vestra’s adherence to the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) introduced in Europe on 10 March. The firm has also committed to reduce net emissions from its operations and investments to zero by 2030, underscoring a commitment to the Paris Agreement and a sustainable financial sector.
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LGT Vestra chief executive Ben Snee said: “It is encouraging to see that our longstanding commitment to sustainability, both within our business practices and investment philosophy, is attracting such high calibre and enthusiastic individuals.
“With the added level of regulatory compliance we adhere to and our further strengthened sustainable focused investment professionals, we stand poised to provide financial advisers with the tools and guidance to navigate the increasingly ‘green’ investment sphere.”
Since launching in 2018, the sustainable model portfolio service has amassed assets of more than £700m.
