First State Investments appoints two independent directors
The board of First State Investments (First State) has announced the appointment of two independent non-executive directors, Michelle Tredenick and Richard Wastcoat, as of 1 June.
Tredenick currently serves on boards of companies, such as Insurance Australia Group (IAG) and Bank of Queensland. Previously, she held senior roles at the National Australia Bank (NAB) among others.
Wastcoat joined First State as a non-executive director in 2011. He previously worked, for example, as chief executive of Fidelity, and was in charge of its UK mutual fund business.
First State Investments, also known as First Sentier Investors, has $151.2bn (€135.3bn) of assets under management and operates as a standalone business owned and overseen by the Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group.
AP7 appoints chairman
The Swedish government has appointed Per Frennberg as chairman of Swedish buffer fund AP7. He was previously vice chairman at the state pension fund.
Before joining AP7, Frennberg was chief investment officer of Swedish pension fund manager Alecta.
He replaces Rose Marie Westman, who leaves the board after a stint of eight years.
Tobam makes senior appointments
Tobam has appointed managing director and deputy chief investment officer Tatjana Puhan to the executive committee and promoted Axel Cabrol to head of fixed income.
Puhan was appointed deputy chief investment officer in January 2020 to lead Tobam’s investment teams and contribute to the development of its strategies across equities.
Cabrol replaces Raphael Thuin, who has recently taken on a position at French alternative investment manager Tikehau Capital, and will lead the team to manage Tobam’s anti-benchmark credit strategies.
Cabrol joined Tobam in 2016 from specialist European credit investment manager Butler Investment Advisor, based in London, and previously worked for French investment manager Barep Asset Management.
Tobam manages close to $8.5bn as of 31 December 2019 and is a French asset management company offering investment solutions designed to maximise diversification.
Peter Ferket to depart Robeco
Peter Ferket has stepped down as head of investments and member of the executive committee and management board at Robeco at the end of May. His departure was mutually agreed.
Until a successor has been appointed, Ferket’s responsibilities will be taken over by Victor Verberk, deputy head of investments and member of the executive committee.
Ferket joined Robeco in 1997. Previously, he was co-head of the quantitative equity team and portfolio manager at Robeco.
He commented on his departure by saying that, “after dealing with a personal challenge, my perspective on what I find most important and valuable in life has changed. Now is a good time for me to move on and discover new challenges outside of Robeco”.
Mediolanum International Funds appoints head of equities
Mediolanum International Funds (MIFL) has appointed Terry Ewing as its head of equities.
Ewing will report to Brian O’Reilly, head of market strategy, and will work with him and the chief investment officer Christophe Jaubert.
He will also join the investment committee where he will contribute to the investment strategy and decision making on investment solutions.
His primary role will be to help develop and roll out the equity securities business at MIFL.
Most recently he was a senior portfolio manager at the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), where he worked as part of the global team.
MIFL said that it is planning to bring onboard more equity investment professionals, as it looks to roll out its equity strategy platform.
The Irish asset management company is part of the Italian banking group Banca Mediolanum.
DWS joins Germany’s Sustainable Finance Advisory Council
Petra Pflaum, Emea co-head of equities and chief investment officer for responsible investments at DWS, has been appointed as a member of the German government’s Sustainable Finance Advisory Council.
Pflaum’s appointment was made upon the request of the German Federal Ministry of Finance, the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.
She commented: “I am very proud to be able to advise the German government on its sustainable finance strategy and to participate in its implementation together with the other members of the advisory council.
“Our declared and common goal is to elevate Germany into a leading sustainable finance location. The current pandemic in particular reinforces the need to further promote and strengthen our economy in a responsible and sustainable manner.”
The council, which includes representatives from the financial sector, the real economy and civil society, among others, advises the German government on matters such as the German sustainable development strategy.
IIRC appoints chair of council
The International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) has named Conor Kehoe as chair of its council to replace Dominic Barton.
Barton stepped down to take up the post as Canada’s ambassador to China.
Kehoe will work with the board and executives to achieve a global consensus on the structure and implementation of a global corporate reporting system.
Prior to this, he worked for US management consulting firm McKinsey & Company as a senior partner.
The IIRC is a global coalition of regulators, investors, companies, standard setters, the accounting profession, academia and NGOs, and promotes communication about value creation as the next step in the evolution of corporate reporting.
