Private Equity
International
International
Responsible Investment Forum New York 2020
4 - 5 March 2020,
Convene 730 Third Ave
Effectively integrating ESG to create sustainable value
The Responsible Investment Forum returns to New York for its fourth year to bring together the most sophisticated LPs, GPs and associations to discuss why, when, and how your firm should be implementing an effective ESG strategy.
ESG issues are at the heart of all PEI’s editorial coverage, with our reporters consistently following and scrutinizing the ways in which managers in the US are adopting responsible investment practices and what LPs are looking for as they consider investing in private equity. PEI, partnering with the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), continues to prove itself as a thought-leader in this area, and is at the forefront of covering the growth of ESG in North American private equity.
Discussion topics:
- Bridging the LP-GP divide on ESG
- ESG reporting and metrics for success
- Focusing on diversity at the fund level and portfolio level
- Placing climate risk at the top of your agenda
- Human capital as a driving force for value
- ESG and the American Frontier
- The ESG and impact investing dynamic
- Engaging the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a strategic assessment tool
- Value creation with ESG
- LP expectations and focus in ESG due diligence
In light of the recent Coronavirus outbreak, we are monitoring developments closely with the latest guidance from local and national authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO) as it relates to travel to, and participation in, our events. At this time, Responsible Investment Forum will run as scheduled with precautions taken to ensure our guests’ health and safety. At this time there are no travel restrictions to any destinations in the US. PEI Media’s usual terms and conditions will apply in the event of any change to our intended plans.
Bringing together the LPs, GPs and associations leading the way in responsible investment practices
Connect with
investors
Understand how LPs are benchmarking corporate governance and how it impacts the manager selection process.
Hear from corporate
governance leaders
Learn how to manage and monitor an ESG policy that aligns with your primary responsibility of delivering returns to investors.
Join the
discussion
Get involved in a community dedicated to creating more sustainable value, brought together over the past seven years by PEI and UN PRI.
Keynote speakers
Brochure now available for download!
Download the brochure to view:
– Speaker lineup
– Agenda highlights
– Past LP attendees
and more!
A sample of who you could meet
2019 Attendees included:
Spruceview Capital Partners
Star Mountain Capital
Super Investment Management
TPG
TowerBrook Capital Partners
UBS Global Wealth Management
United Nations Capital Development Fund
USS Investment Management
Wafra
Blackstone
Brookfield Asset Management
BSR
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board
The Carlyle Group
Chauncey F. Lufkin III Foundation
City of Chicago
The City of New York, Finance
Dancap Family Investment Office
Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh
Ford Foundation
Hamilton Lane
Harvard Management Company
KKR
Klaff Family Investments
Neuberger Berman
New Mountain Capital
New York State Common Retirement Fund
Nuveen
NYC Mayor's Office of Pension & Investments
Oak Hill Capital Partners
Oaktree Capital Management
Office of the New York City Comptroller
OPTrust Private Markets
Oregon State Treasury
Partners Group
PSP Investments
The Rockefeller Foundation
Second Swedish National Pension Fund (AP2)
Sixth Swedish National Pension Fund (AP6)
Segal Marco Advisors
Soros Fund Management
Spruceview Capital Partners
Star Mountain Capital
Super Investment Management
TPG
TowerBrook Capital Partners
UBS Global Wealth Management
United Nations Capital Development Fund
USS Investment Management
Wafra
Blackstone
Brookfield Asset Management
BSR
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board
The Carlyle Group
Chauncey F. Lufkin III Foundation
City of Chicago
The City of New York, Finance
Dancap Family Investment Office
Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh
Ford Foundation
Hamilton Lane
Harvard Management Company
KKR
Klaff Family Investments
Neuberger Berman
New Mountain Capital
New York State Common Retirement Fund
Nuveen
NYC Mayor's Office of Pension & Investments
Oak Hill Capital Partners
Oaktree Capital Management
Office of the New York City Comptroller
OPTrust Private Markets
Oregon State Treasury
Partners Group
PSP Investments
The Rockefeller Foundation
Second Swedish National Pension Fund (AP2)
Sixth Swedish National Pension Fund (AP6)
Segal Marco Advisors
Soros Fund Management
Spruceview Capital Partners
Star Mountain Capital
Super Investment Management
TPG
TowerBrook Capital Partners
UBS Global Wealth Management
United Nations Capital Development Fund
USS Investment Management
Wafra
What our attendees say
ATL Partners
Christopher Romano
The Responsible Investment Forum New York is a must-attend event for those interested in sustainability, which should be all private equity investors
Intentional Endowments Network
Georges Dyer
PEI’s Responsible Investment Forum brought together an impressive collection of the world’s leading thinkers and practitioners on considering ESG fa…
Clayton Dubilier & Rice
Daniel Jacobs
If you are serious about integrating ESG into your investment strategy, you should attend this conference.
2020 Agenda
Agenda
Day 1- March 4th - Wednesday 4th
Breakfast & registration
07:45 - 09:00
LP think tank breakfast (invitation-only)
Andrew Malk,
Matt Schey
Facilitators:
Andrew Malk, Managing Partner, Malk Partners
Matt Schey, Director, Strategic Projects, Institutional Limited Partners Association ( ILPA)
Matt Schey
Senior Director, Sustainable Investing and Strategic Projects, Institutional Limited Partners Association (ILPA)
Read bio
2 Speakers
08:00 - 09:00
Registration and welcome breakfast
Opening remarks
09:05 - 09:10
PEI welcome
Seth Kerker, Director Events – Americas, PEI
09:10 - 09:15
Chairperson's opening remarks
Chris Fowle
Chris Fowle, Head of Americas, PRI
1 Speaker
General session
09:15 - 09:45
Keynote fireside chat: a real conversation about diversity
Robert L. Greene,
Jordan Stutts
Robert L Greene, President & CEO, National Association of Investment Companies (NAIC)
Interviewed By: Jordan Stutts, Senior Writer, Private Markets, PEI
2 Speakers
09:45 - 10:30
LP roundtable
Elizabeth Seeger,
Michael Cappucci,
David Russell ,
Andrew Siwo
- Is PE under threat and how do we think about its role and social impact and the economy? How does ESG play a role?
- Fiduciary duties
- Do LPs have control over the capital?
- Flow of information between LPs and GPs
- How to evaluate managers
- Assessments and performance
Moderator:
Elizabeth Seeger, Director, Sustainable Investing, KKR
Panelists:
Michael T. Cappucci, Senior Vice President, Compliance and Sustainable Investing, Harvard Management Company, Inc.
David Russell, Head of Responsible Investment, USS Investment Management Ltd
Andrew Siwo, Director of Sustainable Investments and Climate Solutions, New York State Common Retirement Fund
Michael Cappucci
Managing Director - Compliance and Sustainable Investing, Harvard Management Company
Read bioAndrew Siwo
Director of Sustainable Investments and Climate Solutions, New York State Common Retirement Fund
Read bio
4 Speakers
10:30 - 10:45
Networking break
10:45 - 11:30
Impact investing
Ryan Miller ,
Chris Cozzone,
Megan Starr
- Raising capital for impact: what assets owners are looking for and fund managers can provide
- Aligning on industry standards (Impact Management Project, IFC Operating Principles for Impact Management, IRIS+ Metrics)
- Clash between negative and positive impacts for multi-billion dollar managers
Moderator:
Ryan Miller, Partner, Malk Partners
Panelist:
Chris Cozzone, Principal, Sustainability lead, Bain Capital
Megan Starr, Principal and Head of Impact, The Carlyle Group
Ryan Miller
Senior Vice President and General Manager, Global Financial Services, Persefoni
Read bio
3 Speakers
11:30 - 12:15
ESG data
Don Reed,
Dr. Philipp Aeby ,
Adam Black,
Jeff Cohen,
Abrielle Rosenthal
- How well is that data output performing in comparison to peers
- Are we able to benchmark fund manager performance?
- Can we marry performance data with ESG performance data? Are we able to communicate the info to LPs
- How to drive meaningful data
Moderator
Don Reed, Executive Director, Anthesis Group
Panelists:
Dr. Philipp Aeby, CEO and Board Member, RepRisk
Adam Black, Head of ESG & Sustainability, Coller Capital
Jeff Cohen, Institutional Product Strategist, Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB)
Abrielle Rosenthal, Managing Director, Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Human Resources Officer, TowerBrook
Jeff Cohen
SASB: Institutional Product Strategist – Head of Private Investments Initiatives, CAIA
Read bioAbrielle Rosenthal
Managing Director, Chief Compliance Officer and co-Chief Human Resources Officer, TowerBrook Capital Partners L.P.
Read bio
5 Speakers
12:15 - 12:45
Keynote spotlight discussion
Alison Fenton-Willock,
Isobel Markham
Alison Fenton-Willock, SVP and Global Head of ESG, Blackstone
Interviewed by: Isobel Markham, Senior Editor, Private Equity Group, Americas, PEI
2 Speakers
Networking lunch
12:45 - 13:50
Networking lunch
Plenary session
13:50 - 14:35
Impact Investing: How to participate in this emerging investing opportunity
Dan Mistler,
Justin Kulla,
Tony Jace,
Adam Reinmann,
Jennifer Signori
- LP, GP, and company perspectives on having a fund, committing capital, and managing investments related to impact
- Understanding how to effectively measure and manage impact
Moderator:
Dan Mistler, ESG Specialist, Bridge House Advisors
Panelists:
Justin Kulla, Founder &Managing Partner, Consequential Capital
Tony Jace, CEO, CPI
Adam Reinmann, Managing Director, CEO of Wendel North America, Wendel
Jennifer Signori, Senior Vice President, ESG and Impact Investing, Neuberger Berman
5 Speakers
Breakout sessions
14:35 - 15:20
Track A | Responsible investing for real estate investors: developing underserved areas
Carl Spevacek,
Ada Arevalo,
Lisa Davis,
Inna Khidekel,
Anna Murray
- Affordable Housing
- Achieving impact in low income communities
- Fragmented sustainability standards
- Sustainability Metrics: Translation and impact on property investment and management
- Climate Resiliency
Moderator:
Carl Spevacek, Manager, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Services, RPS Group
Panelists:
Ada Arevalo, Chief Impact Officer, Alliant Strategic Investments
Lisa Davis, Executive Director and Portfolio Manager, Impact Investing, PGIM Real Estate
Inna Khidekel, Partner, Capital Markets, Bridge Investment Group
Anna Murray, Principal, Sustainable Investing, BentallGreenOak
Anna Murray
Senior Managing Director, Global Head of Sustainable Investing, Total Fund Management, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan
Read bio
5 Speakers
14:35 - 15:20
Track B | ESG in private debt and responsible lending
Mike Hinkley,
Greg Bowes,
Brian Good,
Candice Richards
- Applying an ESG strategy across different debt instruments
- Conducting ESG diligence in credit with limited access to information, balancing rigor and flexibility for large portfolios
- ESG-focused CLOs: market opportunities and additional scrutiny
Moderator:
Mike Hinkley, Vice President, Malk Partners
Panelists:
Greg Bowes, Co-Founder and Managing Principal, Albright Capital
Brian Good, Senior Managing Director, Chief Product Strategist, First Eagle Alternative Credit
Candice Richards, Compliance Officer, MidOcean Partners
Brian Good
Senior Managing Director, Chief Product Strategist, First Eagle Alternative Credit
Read bio
4 Speakers
14:35 - 15:20
Track C | Benchmarking infrastructure for ESG performance
John Hodges,
Caroline Abramo,
Nick Cleary,
Michael Underhill
- Responsible Investment Strategies in Infrastructure
- ESG and the long-term ownership of infrastructure assets
- Developing a process to integrate ESG in investment decisions
- Formulating an ESG policy and integrating it into the due diligence process
- ESG issues over the investment’s lifespan
- Supply Chain ESG Risks
Moderator:
John Hodges, Managing Director, Infrastructure and Finance, BSR
Panelists:
Caroline Abramo, CIO and Founder, Pana Group
Nick Cleary, Partner, Vantage Infrastructure
Michael D. Underhill, Chief Investment Officer, Capital Innovations, LLC
4 Speakers
Afternoon sessions
15:20 - 15:30
Networking break
15:30 - 16:25
ESG programs: from policy to integration
Alan Kao,
Lee Coker,
Sophie Flak,
Bryn Gostin,
Jeff Pentland,
Leela Ramnath
The principles that guide a firm’s ESG program are documented in the ESG policy. Many firms also use the ESG policy to describe the scope, governance structure, and management system of the ESG program. The purpose of this session is to share insights on taking an ESG program from policy to integration.
- How detailed should an ESG policy be?
- How do you use your policy to drive ESG integration across your investments?
- What challenges did you face in integrating ESG considerations across the firm?
Moderator:
Alan Kao, Global Service Line Leader – Compliance, Strategy & Transaction Services, Ramboll
Panelists:
Lee Coker, ESG Officer, Oak Hill Capital Funds
Sophie Flak, CSR and Digital Director, Eurazeo
Bryn Gostin, Senior Director, Head of Product Development & Strategy, Capital Dynamics
Jeff Pentland, Managing Director, Northleaf Capital Partners
Leela Ramnath, Director of ESG, Warburg Pincus
6 Speakers
16:25 - 16:40
2020 LAVCA Awards Presentation
Cate Ambrose
Presenter
Cate Ambrose, Board Member, LAVCA
- Environmental Responsibility Award
- Environmental Responsibility Honorable Mention
- Social Responsibility Award
- Latin American Private Equity Award
1 Speaker
16:40 - 17:10
Closing keynote address
Ken Mehlman,
Isobel Markham
Ken Mehlman, Partner, Global Head of Public Affairs & Co-Head, KKR Global Impact
Interviewed by: Isobel Markham, Senior Editor, Private Equity Group, Americas, PEI
2 Speakers
17:10 - 17:15
Chairman's closing remarks
Chris Fowle
Chris Fowle, Head of Americas, PRI
1 Speaker
17:15 - 18:15
Cocktail reception
Agenda
Day 2- March 5th - Thursday 5th
General session
07:45 - 09:00
Women’s networking breakfast (invitation-only)
Stephanie Campbell
- How does investing with a gender lens impact our social and economic future?
- How to recruit, cultivate, and retain diverse talent in PE
Facilitator:
Stephanie Campbell, General Partner, The Artemis Fund
1 Speaker
08:00 - 09:00
Registration and breakfast
09:05 - 09:10
Chairwoman’s welcome
Christine Pishko
Christine Pishko, US Relationship Manager, Global Signatory Relations and Outreach, PRI, PRI
1 Speaker
09:10 - 09:40
Keynote spotlight discussion
Suzanne Tavill,
Carol Jeppesen
09:40 - 10:25
Corporate governance and board diversity
Tim Clare,
Stephanie Campbell ,
Frances Higgins,
Jemma Wolfe
- Diversity at the investment professional and portfolio board level
- How should board members be focused on ESG and what does that mean?
Moderator:
Tim Clare, Director, UK, Anthesis Group
Panelist:
Stephanie Campbell, General Partner, The Artemis Fund
Frances Higgins, General Partner, WCAS
Jemma Wolfe, Head of Launch With GS, Goldman Sachs
Jemma Wolfe
Global Head of Commercial Strategy, Alternatives Capital Formation, Goldman Sachs
Read bio
4 Speakers
10:25 - 10:45
Networking break
Morning breakout series
10:50 - 11:35
Track A: Responsible agriculture investment strategies
Chris Janiec,
Tom Amis,
Adam Fless,
Sanaz Raczynski
Defining and advancing responsible agricultural investments
Moderator:
Chris Janiec, Senior Editor, Agri Investor
Panelists:
Tom Amis, Head of the EQ Controlled Environment Team, Equilibrium
Adam Fless, Managing Director, Portfolio Excellence, Paine Schwartz Partners
Sanaz Raczynski, Managing Director, Head of Sustainability, Nuveen
4 Speakers
10:50 - 11:35
Track B: ESG challenges in healthcare
Ashley E. Armstrong,
Stephen Bianca,
Matt Jameson,
Scott Li,
Jay Rose
Moderator:
Ashley E. Armstrong, Sustainability Consultant, Bridge House Advisors
Panelists:
Stephen Bianca, Director of Compliance, Alpine Investors
Matt Jameson, CFA, Managing Director, BlueMountain Capital Management
Scott Li, Managing Director, CRG
Jay Rose, Managing Partner, Amulet Capital Partners
5 Speakers
General session
11:40 - 12:25
An emerging mandate: ESG reporting
Sarah Corrigan,
Matthew Hershenson,
Viviana Occhionorelli,
Jon Samuels,
Humberto Suarez
- An overview of the ESG reporting landscape
- Considerations for public disclosure vs. private communications to LPs
- How external stakeholders evaluate your reporting
- Best practices for gaining value from the reporting process
Moderator:
Sarah Corrigan, Principal Consultant, ERM
Panelists:
Matthew Hershenson, Head of Investor Relations, Paine Schwartz Partners
Viviana Occhionorelli, ESG Director, Astorg
Jon Samuels, Partner, The Vistria Group
Humberto Suarez, Controller, Lafise Investment Management
5 Speakers
12:25 - 13:10
Climate change
Susan R. Kemball-Cook, Ph.D,
Michael Hall ,
Jay L. Koh,
Emily S. Kreps,
Brooks Preston
- Preparing climate-related financial disclosures and/or evaluating climate risks as part of pre-acquisition due diligence
- Assessment of transition and physical climate risks to align with various reporting frameworks (CDP, TCFD)
Moderator:
Susan R. Kemball-Cook, PhD, Principal, Ramboll
Panelist:
Michael Hall, Sustainability Manager, Development Partners International (DPI)
Jay L. Koh, Managing Director, The Lightsmith Group
Emily Kreps, Global Director, Investor Initiatives, CDP
Brooks Preston, Division Director, Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Asset’s (MIRA)
5 Speakers
13:10 - 13:15
Chairwoman’s closing remarks
Christine Pishko
Christine Pishko, US Relationship Manager, Global Signatory Relations and Outreach, PRI, PRI
1 Speaker
13:15 - 14:00
Networking lunch
2020 Speakers
Interested in speaking at the Forum?
Please contact Zakira Ralling at zakira.r@peimedia.com or +1 646 545 3321.
Michael Cappucci
Managing Director - Compliance and Sustainable Investing, Harvard Management Company
Anna Murray
Senior Managing Director, Global Head of Sustainable Investing, Total Fund Management, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan
Abrielle Rosenthal
Managing Director, Chief Compliance Officer and co-Chief Human Resources Officer, TowerBrook Capital Partners L.P.
Matt Schey
Senior Director, Sustainable Investing and Strategic Projects, Institutional Limited Partners Association (ILPA)
Andrew Siwo
Director of Sustainable Investments and Climate Solutions, New York State Common Retirement Fund
2020 Sponsors
The Responsible Investment Forum New York offers a unique opportunity for organizations to raise their profile by meeting with the largest gathering of investors, fund managers and organizations shaping the future of ESG in private equity.
For exclusive sponsorship packages, contact Tyler Mitchell at tyler.m@peimedia.com or call +1 646 795 3279.
Venue & hotel accommodations
Convene
730 Third Ave
New York, NY 10017
Our group room block reservation at the Benjamin Hotel has ended. To book hotel accommodations at the prevailing rate visit here.
730 Third Avenue
Convene
125 East 50th Street
The Benjamin Hotel
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Dr. Philipp Aeby
CEO and Board Member, Reprisk
Dr. Philipp Aeby is the CEO and Co-founder of RepRisk. Prior to taking on this role, he held the position of Chief Operating Officer and Managing Partner. He is an expert in business conduct risk management, with a special interest in machine learning. The technology team reports directly to him.
Before joining RepRisk in 2006, Philipp served in various managerial positions across Europe at Amgen, a global biopharmaceutical firm, and worked on a broad range of international assignments with the Boston Consulting Group.
He is on the Business Advisory Board of Swisspeace and was previously on the Board of Swiss Sustainable Finance, as well as on UNICEF’s Advisory Board during the launch of UNICEF’s Children’s Rights and Business Principles.
Philipp holds a PhD in Environmental Physics and a Master’s degree in Climatology and Hydrology from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, Switzerland, where he earned the ETH Medal for outstanding research that involved applying neural networks to pattern recognition.
Caroline Abramo
CIO and Founder, Pana LCE
Caroline Abramo is CIO and Founder of the Pana LCE (low carbon economy) investment platform which offers advisory, private funds, and separately managed accounts to families and institutional clients in the clean power/ fuels, agriculture, waste, and water sectors.
Caroline has unique knowledge about financial asset management and alternative products. Caroline has relationships with investors, asset managers, commodity specialists, and government agencies globally cultivated over 25 years in alternative investment management. Pana’s primary business is Real Assets and Alternative Investment Management.
Cate Ambrose
Board Member, LAVCA
Cate Ambrose is a Board Member of the Association for Private Capital Investment in Latin America (LAVCA), a non-profit membership organization comprised of over 190 firms that control assets in excess of US$65b directed at capitalizing and growing Latin American businesses.
Cate was formerly the President and Executive Director of LAVCA, and in late 2019, transitioned to the role of CEO and Board Member of EMPEA, the global industry association for private capital in emerging markets. Members include 300+ fund managers, institutional investors, family offices, sovereign wealth funds, development finance institutions, and industry advisors who manage more than US$5 trillion in assets across 130 countries.
Cate is a Steering Committee Member of the United Nations Institutional Investor Partnership for Sustainable Development (IIPSD) and on the Advisory Board of the Association for Private Capital Investment in Latin America (LAVCA). She is also a member of the Board of Directors of Indian startup Masala Baby and a Board Member for Girls Write Now, a non-profit that mentors underserved young women in New York City. Cate was previously the Chief of Advocacy for the Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor, a United Nations initiative where she spearheaded the commission’s work on business regulation and property rights in Africa, MENA, Asia, and Latin America. Until 2005, Cate was Executive Director of Programs for The Economist Group. Cate speaks and writes regularly on a range of topics related to public policy and private investment in Latin America. She is a commentator on CNN En Español, Bloomberg, and Fox Business and a guest lecturer at The Wharton School. Cate holds an MPA in International Economic Policy from Columbia University and received her BA in Latin American studies from St. Lawrence University and the University of Madrid.
Tom Amis
Head of the EQ Controlled Environment Team, Equilibrium
Tom Amis has worked exclusively in the renewable energy and sustainability space for the past 15 years. He has assisted clients in the development, structuring, financing, acquisition and disposition of renewable energy and sustainability projects in sectors as diverse as wind, solar, biomass, biogas, storage, distributed generation, distributed agriculture and energy efficiency. Since 2017, he has acted as senior principal of Equilibrium Capital’s Controlled Environment Foods Fund, an institutional investment fund investing in controlled environment agricultural facilities.
In addition to his role at Equilibrium Capital, he currently chairs the Advisory Board of Sol Systems, LLC, a leading financial intermediary in
the solar space and is a member of the Advisory Boards of Spark Fund LLC, a provider of innovative financing solutions for efficiency retrofits for commercial and industrial buildings, and New York City Energy Efficiency Corporation. He serves as a trustee of the Maryland/DC chapter of The Nature Conservancy, where he has been active in the organization of the nation’s first stormwater credit trading program and additionally serves on the Council of the Sustainable Food Program of Yale University. He received his undergraduate degree from Yale University, his M.Sc. from the London School of Economics, his J.D from Columbia University and his M.B.A. from INSEAD.
Ada Arevalo
Founder and CEO, iimpact capital
Ada Arevalo is the Founder and CEO of iimpact capital, a purpose-driven, women- and minority-owned investment platform focused on affordable, sustainable and equitable housing and community investments. As the leader of the organization, she directs the overall strategy, vision and culture of the firm.
Prior to founding iimpact, she was the Chief Impact Officer at Alliant Strategic Investments, a national private equity firm focused on the preservation and impact of affordable housing. In this capacity, Ada led the firm’s capital raising and investor relation strategies while also being responsible for the development, implementation, and measurement of sustainable and social impact programs across the portfolio. As a member of the investment committee, Ada brought over 15 years of real estate investment experience and a unique perspective and passion for ESG and DE&I to the investment thesis. Prior to joining Alliant Strategic Investments, Ada was part of the executive team at Avanath Capital Management. Serving nearly 9 years in several capacities, Mrs. Arevalo most recently served as VP of Fund Management, in that role she led multiple initiatives and was responsible for fund management, capital raising, investor relations as well as impact and sustainable initiatives. Ada also focused her efforts on creating a national and global presence for the firm by participating in multiple industry conferences as both a speaker, moderator, and general delegate.
In 2020 Ada became the Founding Chair of REAL, the first and only commercial real estate organization focused on increasing visibility, advancement and equity for Latinx professionals. Ada also serves in multiple private and nonprofit boards in various capacities.
iimpact capital is a purpose-driven, woman- and minority-owned investment firm focused on the development and preservation of affordable, sustainable and equitable housing and community investments.
Ashley E. Armstrong
Sustainability Consultant, Bridge House Advisors
Ashley is a Sustainability Consultant at Bridge House Advisors. She is focused on the delivery of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) services for private equity clients, including strategy and program development, due diligence, metrics, monitoring, reporting, and impact opportunity assessments. Ashley also partners with Bridge House’s global corporate clients on sustainability/corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy and reporting to help companies develop and achieve long-term success and communicate their achievements using industry-specific guidelines and tools, such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). In addition, Ashley has experience conducting materiality assessments, setting goals/targets, and responding to 3rd party sustainability disclosures, such as the Principles for Responsible Investing (PRI) assessment, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), and CDP. Prior to joining Bridge House, Ashley worked at Cone Communications, Environmental Resources Management (ERM), Harvard University, Accion International, and Conservation International. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Williams College and her Master of Arts in International Development Studies from The George Washington University.
Stephen Bianca
Director of Compliance, Alpine Investors
Stephen is Director of Compliance at Alpine Investors where he manages Alpine’s regulatory and compliance matters as well as its ESG program. Prior to joining Alpine, Stephen was Vice President of Compliance at Genstar Capital. Earlier in his career, he worked as a legal and compliance associate at Blue River Partners. Stephen holds a JD from Pace University School of Law and a BA from Clemson University where he graduated Summa Cum Laude.
Adam Black
Head of ESG & Sustainability, Coller Capital
Adam has been an ESG specialist for over 27 years (12 years in private equity). He is a Fellow of the Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment (FIEMA), Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) and a Chartered Member of IOSH (the Institution of Occupational Safety & Health). He holds a BSc (Honours) in Environmental Science, MA in Environmental Law and a higher-degree in Occupational Health and Safety.
Adam has experience in most aspects of ESG implementation and management, including as a trainer and coach, incident investigation and crisis management, and safety culture. He has delivered ESG risk mitigation and value creation programmes across most industry sectors in over 50 countries worldwide. As a member of Coller Capital’s Investment Team, Adam has responsibility for integrating ESG within all investment decision-making and management processes, working across all funds with underlying managers and on occasion their portfolio companies. Prior to joining Coller Capital in 2016 he was an ESG Operating Partner and Head of Sustainability at Doughty Hanson.
Greg Bowes
Co-Founder and Managing Principal, Albright Capital
Gregory Bowes has over 30 years’ experience building successful financial services and alternative asset management businesses.
Co-founding Albright Capital, after senior catalytic roles in three previous early stage financial services companies, was a natural evolution of his long standing pursuit of market inefficiencies and alpha in developed markets.
Mr. Bowes prior experience includes serving as Senior Executive Officer of Greenwich (Capital) International and Vice President of Bankers Trust Company
At Greenwich Capital Markets, he developed the firm’s international activities based in London. Post-acquisition by National Westminster Bank/Royal Bank of Scotland, he served as Co-Head of NatWest Capital Markets.
At Bankers Trust Company, he financed early leveraged buyouts and distressed investors as a member of the credit-intensive Commercial Banking Group, before moving into more liquid Capital Markets.
Mr. Bowes is a graduate (Economics and History) and Trustee Emeritus of Bowdoin College. He serves on the Board of Directors of Camp Pemigewassett.
Stephanie Campbell
General Partner, The Artemis Fund
Stephanie is the co-founder and General Partner of The Artemis Fund, a venture fund that leads seed rounds for female and diverse tech founders. Before Artemis, Stephanie was the Managing Director of the Houston Angel Network (HAN), one of the most active angel networks in the country. Before moving to Houston in 2015 to pursue her MBA from Rice University, Stephanie worked as a government relations associate at the Washington, DC lobbying firm Potomac Partners DC. She served clients in the transportation, infrastructure, and financial services industries to navigate federal policy and funding. She also served as an executive recruiter for Fortune 500, hedge funds, and investment firms. Stephanie has a bachelor of science in Political Science from Spring Hill College in Mobile, AL, and an MBA from the Rice University Graduate School of Business.
Michael Cappucci
Managing Director - Compliance and Sustainable Investing, Harvard Management Company
Michael Cappucci is a Managing Director for Compliance and Sustainable Investing at Harvard Management Company (HMC). He joined HMC in 2012.
Michael helps to manage HMC’s sustainable investment program, where he focuses on integrating ESG factors in HMC’s private fund investments and meeting the endowment’s net zero commitment. His articles have been featured in the Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, NYU Journal of Law & Business, Virginia Law & Business Review, Responsible Investor, and the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance. He is a member of the ISSB Investor Advisory Group, ILPA ESG Advisory Council, and Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) Hedge Fund Advisory Committee, and a past Chair of the PRI Private Equity Advisory Committee.
Tim Clare
Director - ESG Advisory, Anthesis Group
Tim is Anthesis’ Director for ESG Advisory Services. Tim has over 25 years of experience in consulting; during that time, he has worked extensively with private equity, starting with M&A transaction support and more recently helping his clients as they have started and progressed on their ESG journeys.
In that regard Tim’s focuses have included developing new ways to monitor ESG performance and to enhance the assessment and mitigation of climate change risks, including in line with the TCFD. Tim is Anthesis project director for its input to the SBT Guidance for the Private Equity Sector.
Tim currently sits on the British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association’s (BVCA) Responsible Investment
Advisory Group
Anthesis
Anthesis is the sustainability activator. Proud to be a B Corp, we seek to make a significant contribution to a world which is more resilient and productive. We do this by working with cities, companies, and other organisations to drive sustainable performance. We develop financially driven sustainability strategies, underpinned by technical expertise and delivered by innovative collaborative teams across the world. The company combines the reach of big professional services groups with the deep expertise of boutiques. Anthesis has clients across industry sectors from SMEs to corporate multinationals and extensive experience in private equity field where we have been a leader in ESG implementation. The company brings together 600 experts operating in 40 countries around the world.
Given our private equity and climate experience, Anthesis has been appointed by the World Resources Institute on behalf of the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi) to co-author the Science Based Target Guidance for the Private Equity Sector.
www.anthesisgroup.com
Nick Cleary
Partner, Vantage Infrastructure
Nick joined the business in 2012 and has over two decades of relevant experience. Based in New York, Nick leads the North American Infrastructure Debt business, including investments origination, execution and portfolio management. He is a member of the Debt Investment Committee and the firm’s global Executive Committee.
Prior to joining the firm, Nick spent over six years at Westpac in the Energy Resources team and in the Project and Infrastructure Finance teams. Prior to Westpac Nick held a number of roles in the international energy industry based out of Houston, USA and working across Asia, the Middle East and Latin and North America. He holds a Bachelor of Surveying degree from the University of Tasmania, and a Masters of Business Administration from the Macquarie Graduate School of Management.
Jeff Cohen
SASB: Institutional Product Strategist – Head of Private Investments Initiatives, CAIA
Jeff Cohen is an Institutional Product Strategist at the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB). In his role, Jeff educates and partners with institutional investors and asset owners facilitating dialogue on financially material industry specific ESG topics and metrics for implementation into investment decisions across asset classes. Prior to joining SASB, Jeff consulted private equity and real asset firms on communicating ESG integration and impact outcomes in investment processes to limited partners through reports and marketing collateral. In addition, Jeff was Head of Business Development at Sonen Capital an ESG & Impact dedicated OCIO, where he worked with investors seeking to achieve impact in private markets through various environmental and social themes. Prior to Sonen, Jeff was a Director of Investment Opportunities at Venovate, a Fin-tech platform connecting institutional investors with unique private placement investments, where he conducted due diligence on private equity, real assets, and secondary transactions. Jeff has spent his career working with sophisticated investors at organizations such as Deutsche Bank, Merrill Lynch, and Gerson Lehrman Group. He holds an MBA from Georgetown University and a BBA from the University of Michigan. Jeff is a CAIA charter holder and Fundamentals of Sustainability Accounting Credential Holder.
Lee Coker
ESG Officer, Oak Hill Capital Funds
Lee Coker serves as Oak Hill’s ESG Officer, leading the firm’s ESG diligence efforts and working with portfolio companies on ESG initiatives. Before working with the firm, Lee managed Environmental Defense Fund’s (EDF) Green Returns initiative, partnering with leaders in the private equity sector, including KKR, Carlyle, and Oak Hill Capital, to identify opportunities for reducing environmental impacts and building more valuable, competitive companies. Lee earned an MBA at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School and also holds a BA in Environmental Studies from New College at the University of Alabama.
Sarah Corrigan
Principal Consultant, ERM
Sarah Corrigan is a Principal Consultant for ERM, and leads client projects for ESG integration, policy development, due diligence, benchmarking, and reporting. Her work with private equity and credit firms has included developing pre-investment ESG screening mechanisms, working to enhance post-investment ESG processes, and training investment professionals on ESG. Sarah also partners with portfolio companies and publicly-traded companies on materiality assessments, governance enhancements, ESG ratings/rankings, stakeholder engagement, and goal setting. She is a GRI-certified trainer and an expert in ESG reporting frameworks. Sarah previously worked for the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and CSR Asia (Hong Kong).
Chris Cozzone
Principal, Sustainability lead, Bain Capital Double Impact
Mr. Cozzone joined Bain Capital’s Global Private Equity team in London in 2011 and was part of Double Impact’s founding team from 2015.
Prior to joining Bain Capital, Mr. Cozzone was a Consultant in Bain & Company’s Dubai and San Francisco offices, a private equity investor with Cinven in Europe and a consultant for the Africa Transport unit at the World Bank.
Lisa Davis
Executive Director and Portfolio Manager, Impact Investing, PGIM Real Estate
Lisa Davis is an executive director at PGIM Real Estate and portfolio manager of Impact Investing. Based in New York City, Lisa is responsible for developing and leading PGIM Real Estate’s Impact Investing Strategy, including the creation of a new impact investing fund.
Most recently, Lisa was director of Investor Relations and Specialty Originations at Pembrook Capital Management, where she raised capital from institutional investors for commercial real estate investment, primarily focusing on affordable housing and community development.
Before joining PGIM Real Estate, Lisa spent six years at the Ford Foundation, where she made grant investments in affordable housing and community development, led the foundation’s Detroit program, and helped to start Ford’s impact investing initiative. Prior to the Ford Foundation, Lisa spent 12 years doing commercial real estate development in Boston, first with non-profit community development corporations such as Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation and Asian Community Development Corporation, and then with the private equity firm New Boston Fund. She led the redevelopment of some the most significant publicly-owned sites in the city, including the former Boston State Hospital site and MTA Turnpike parcels that came available as part of the Big Dig. Lisa started her career in Texas and the Bronx as a community organizer and advocate on housing and homelessness issues.
Lisa has a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from the University of Texas at Austin, a master of science in real estate development, and a master of city planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
She has lived and worked in France, Costa Rica and Japan. Lisa serves on the board of directors of the Brooklyn Navy Yard and IMPACCT Brooklyn.
As one of the largest real estate managers in the world with US$190.4 billion in gross assets under management and administration1 , PGIM Real Estate strives to deliver exceptional outcomes for investors and borrowers through a range of real estate equity and debt solutions across the risk-return spectrum. PGIM Real Estate is a business of PGIM, the US$1.5 trillion global asset management business of Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU). PGIM Real Estate’s rigorous risk management, seamless execution, and extensive industry insights are backed by a 50-year legacy of investing in commercial real estate, a 140-year history of real estate financing2 , and the deep local expertise of professionals in 32 cities globally. Through its investment, financing, asset management, and talent management approach, PGIM Real Estate engages in practices that ignite positive environmental and social impact, while pursuing activities that strengthen communities around the world. For more information visit pgimrealestate.com.
Alison Fenton-Willock
SVP and Global Head of ESG, Blackstone
Alison Fenton-Willock is a Senior Vice President and Blackstone’s Global Head of ESG. In this role, she leads the firm’s overall approach to Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) issues that impact its investing activities. Ms. Fenton-Willock joined Blackstone’s Legal and Compliance department in 2016 and previously focused on private equity compliance.
Before joining Blackstone, Ms. Fenton-Willock was a Deputy General Counsel at Stifel Financial, and also previously worked at Barclays Capital and Davis Polk & Wardwell.
Ms. Fenton-Willock received a BBA in Accountancy from Baruch College, where she graduated magna cum laude, and a JD from NYU School of Law.
Sophie Flak
CSR and Digital Director, Eurazeo
Sophie Flak joined Eurazeo in 2013 as CSR Director and a specialist in conducting substantial transformation and innovation programmes within corporates.
Sophie has overall responsibility for defining and executing Eurazeo’s ambitions CSR strategy across the global investment house and its holdings. Since 2015, Sophie has also taken responsibility for coordinating digital and technological transformation across the house and its investments.
Prior to joining Eurazeo, Sophie spent eleven years at Accenture leaving as a Senior Executive within the strategy division and having established Accenture France’s sustainable development consulting business.
In 2010, Sophie joined AccorHotels as member of the Executive Committee in charge of the group’s transformation encompassing technological, organisational and CSR-related programmes. Through the launch of the Planet 21 program, she was instrumental in positioning Accor Group, as a global sustainable development leader.
Sophie is a graduate from IEP Strasbourg and EM Lyon, a member of the National Digital Council, a lecturer in sustainable development at Sciences Po, and chairs Recherche sur le Yoga dans l’Education association.
Adam Fless
Managing Director, Portfolio Excellence, Paine Schwartz Partners
Mr. Fless joined Paine Schwartz Partners in 2017. He leads the Portfolio Excellence Platform which includes the portfolio management committee, new investment diligence, and current investment performance improvement work. He is a seasoned private equity executive with deep international experience in the food/restaurant, retail/consumer, automotive, industrial, and services industries. He works with the deal executives and portfolio company management teams on identifying and executing improvements in manufacturing/service delivery, operations, procurement/supply chain, value engineering, salesforce, pricing and strategic partnerships. Previously Mr. Fless worked with KKR, AlixPartners, and AT Kearney. Mr. Fless has an undergraduate degree in Economics and International Trade from the University of Waterloo, Canada and an MBA from the London Business School, UK.
Chris Fowle
Head of Americas , Principles for Responsible Investment
Chris joined the PRI in October 2016 as Americas Director, Signatory Relations to help manage 600 signatory relationships in North and South America. Previously he was Head of Investor Initiatives for CDP, the former Carbon Disclosure Project, in North America. He served as the CDP representative for Sustainable Accounting Standard Board’s (SASB) Standards Council and for Climate Bond Initiative’s Climate Bond Standards Advisory Board. Previously, Chris worked in New York and Tokyo for JPMorgan, Deutsche Bank and the former Lehman Brothers. He holds an MBA from Columbia University and a BBA from the College of William and Mary in Virginia.
Brian Good
Senior Managing Director, Chief Product Strategist, First Eagle Alternative Credit
Mr. Good is a Senior Managing Director of First Eagle Alternative Credit and the Co-Head and Senior Portfolio Manager for First Eagle Alternative Credit's Tradable Credit platform. From April 2004 through June 2012, Mr. Good was the Co-Head of the Alternative Credit Strategies Group of McDonnell Investment Management, LLC. Mr. Good brings extensive knowledge of the leveraged finance markets with more than thirty years of leveraged finance portfolio management experience. From 1998 to April 2004, Mr. Good was a Senior Vice President at Columbia Advisors, where he served as Co-Portfolio Manager for two continuously offered closed-end funds, collateralized loan obligations and separately managed accounts. While at Columbia, Mr. Good focused on bank loan investment analysis and trading. Prior to joining Columbia Advisors in 1998, Mr. Good was an Associate Portfolio Manager for Van Kampen Investments for the Prime Rate Income Trust in its Bank Loan Investment Group. His overall investment experience includes credit analysis, trading and distressed investing. Mr. Good began his career at the Pilgrim Group in 1987 where he was a member of the portfolio management team for the Pilgrim Prime Rate Trust, the first bank loan mutual fund of its kind. Mr. Good earned his B.S. in Business Administration from Pepperdine University.
Bryn Gostin
Senior Director, Head of Product Development & Strategy, Capital Dynamics
Bryn is a Senior Director on the Business Development team, where he is the Head of Product Development & Strategy and Co-Chair of Responsible Investment Committee. Prior to joining Capital Dynamics, Bryn worked at Goldman Sachs in the Investment Management Division where he served as the Head of Business Development for GP stake, secondary, and senior lending strategies. Earlier in his career, Bryn practiced corporate law at Skadden Arps and Jones Day. He holds a bachelor's degree, summa cum laude, from Duke University, a masters degree from Oxford University and a Juris Doctorate, magna cum laude, from Georgetown University. Bryn also served as a member of the New York Lawyers for the Public Interest.
Robert L. Greene
President & CEO, National Association of Investment Companies (NAIC)
Robert L Greene is a leader in the US Asset Management industry that has achieved success as an institutional investor, strategic advisor, board member and operating executive. He has built a reputation for innovative thinking, transforming strategy into results, and enabling others to achieve outsized success.
Bob serves as President & Chief Executive Officer for the National Association of Investment Companies (NAie). In this capacity Bob is responsible for leading all aspects of the association's mission of serving as the industry association for diverse-owned private equity firms and hedge funds. With more than 80 member firms that collectively manage more than $160 billion in assets, Bob leads all aspects of the association's capital access efforts, legislative advocacy, performance research, media and publications, member services and strategic alliance development.
Bob holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). He is a recipient of the University's Distinguished Service Award, and was selected to the prestigious Virginia Governors Fellows Program. He is a lifetime member of the National Eagle Scout Association, the National INROADS Alumni Association, and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
Michael Hall
Sustainability Manager, Development Partners International (DPI)
Michael is responsible for ESG and Impact at DPI Michael has an extensive cross-sector, cross-industry view of the opportunities and challenges of ESG and Impact strategy and implementation over his 15 years working in sustainability, particularly in emerging markets.
Prior to joining DPI in 2015, Michael worked in ESG consulting roles at ERM, and was based on projects in Africa, the Caribbean and Iceland for Bechtel Corporation.
Michael holds an MSc Environmental Technology from Imperial College London, and a BSc in Zoology from James Cook University, Australia
Matthew Hershenson
Head of Investor Relations, Paine Schwartz Partners
Matthew Hershenson is Head of Investor Relations at Paine Schwartz Partners.
Mr. Hershenson joined Paine Schwartz Partners in 2017. He was formerly a principal and founding member of Mercury Capital Advisors, a global private placement firm specializing in capital raising and advisory services tailored to alternative asset managers. During his tenure at Mercury, Mr. Hershenson assisted in the origination, structuring and execution of numerous fundraising initiatives, securing capital for private equity, venture capital, real estate and credit-oriented general partner clients across the globe. He began his career at Merrill Lynch in the Private Funds Group of the Investment Banking Division.
Matthew is a graduate of Middlebury College (Bachelor of Arts), and was raised in Norwich, Vermont.
Fran Higgins
General Partner, WCAS
Ms. Higgins is Managing Director of Investor Relations, having joined WCAS in 2007. Ms. Higgins is responsible for establishing and maintaining relationships with investors and fundraising for WCAS Partnerships. She also focuses on WCAS's Limited Partner communications. Before joining WCAS, she worked at JPMorgan Chase.
Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe (“WCAS”) is a leading U.S. private equity firm focused on two target industries: technology and healthcare. Since its founding in 1979, the Firm's strategy has been to partner with outstanding management teams and build value for its investors through a combination of operational improvements, growth initiatives and strategic acquisitions. WCAS has raised and managed funds totaling over $27 billion of committed capital.
Mike Hinkley
Senior Manager, ESG Lead, Insight Partners
Mike is a Senior Manager at Insight Partners and oversees the firm’s ESG integration, reporting, and engagement initiatives. Mike joined Insight in January 2022, and formerly spent 5 years as an ESG consultant advising private equity and venture capital firms on ESG strategy and performing ESG due diligence reviews for clients’ M&A transactions.
Insight Partners is a global software investor partnering with high-growth technology, software, and Internet startup and ScaleUp companies that are driving transformative change in their industries. As of February 24, 2022, the closing of the firm's recent fundraise, Fund XII, brings Insight Partners' regulatory assets under management to over $90B. Insight Partners has invested in more than 600 companies worldwide and has seen over 55 portfolio companies achieve an IPO. Headquartered in New York City, Insight has offices in London, Tel Aviv, and Palo Alto. Insight's mission is to find, fund, and work successfully with visionary executives, providing them with practical, hands-on software expertise to foster long-term success. Insight Partners meets great software leaders where they are in their growth journey, from their first investment to IPO.
John Hodges
Managing Director, Infrastructure and Finance, BSR
With more than 20 years of sustainable development experience, John leads BSR's global infrastructure and financial services practices, advising companies on corporate sustainability strategy, responsible investing and project development, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risk management.
Before BSR, John was the founder and president of SunOne Solutions, a leading carbon project developer in North and South America. John worked as a staff member in the World Bank's sustainable development group, where he managed global energy and transport infrastructure projects and the vice president for sustainable development's front office, and served as the infrastructure advisor in the Thailand and Kosovo country offices. He has also held positions in the airline transport industry, with a private infrastructure project developer in Chile, and with an impact investing fund in the Balkans.
John holds an M.P.A. from Harvard University, an International M.B.A. from the University of South Carolina, and a B.S. in International Trade and Finance from Louisiana State University.
Tony Jace
CEO, CPI
Tony Jace is the Chief Executive Officer of the Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI), a training provider committed to empowering professionals worldwide in the service of society’s most vulnerable (including special needs children, the mentally ill and seniors with dementia). Under his guidance CPI has set record revenue, profit, and training delivery numbers every year. In addition, he has guided CPI through three acquisitions and several changes in ownership. In the past 10 years CPI has increased its market value by over 20 times.
Prior to joining CPI Tony was a Vice President at Oracle USA, a Partner at Ernst & Young, and a Manager at Kimberly-Clark Corporation (K-C). Throughout his 30 years he has demonstrated success in every role, from setting manufacturing efficiency records at K-C to spending 6 years overseas building practices for E&Y to establishing the highest growth service line at Oracle.
Tony lives in Southeast Wisconsin with his lovely wife and 4 children. He enjoys playing all sports, especially golf and football, and loves spending time at his lake cabin in the northwoods of Minnesota.
Matt Jameson
CFA, Managing Director, BlueMountain Capital Management
Matt Jameson is a Managing Director on the Healthcare Investing team at BlueMountain Capital Management and a member of their Healthcare Investment Committee. Prior to joining BlueMountain, Mr. Jameson was a Managing Director and the Co-Head of Private Equity at Highland Capital Management where he served on the Investment Committee of the healthcare-focused Stonebridge-Highland Private Equity Fund. Mr. Jameson has served on numerous boards including Cornerstone Healthcare Group and American HomePatient where he served as Chairman. Prior to joining Highland, Mr. Jameson spent over 10 years working in the private equity and strategy consulting industries in North America, Europe, and Africa. Mr. Jameson holds a B.S. in Accounting from Case Western Reserve University and has earned the right to use the CFA designation.
Chris Janiec
Americas Editor, Agri Investor
Chris Janiec is an America's Editor with Agri Investor and previously wrote about non-bank finance for Private Debt Investor. A graduate of the NYU Center for Global Affairs, Janiec is also a member of the Carnegie New Leaders and the National Committee on Untied States – China Relations.
Carol Jeppesen
Head of US, Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI)
Carol Jeppesen is Head of the US for the UN supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) and is responsible for PRI’s largest institutional investor market. The term “ESG investing” was coined in conjunction with PRI’s formation in 2006 and our organization is now recognized as the world’s leading proponent of responsible investment, supporting a global network of more than 3,300 investor signatories, representing over $100 trillion in AUM, with the incorporation of ESG factors into investment decision making and stewardship.
Carol has been influential in the growth of RI & ESG integration practices in the US over the past 5 years. She joined PRI in 2015 to establish the organization’s first US office. Since that time, PRI’s US presence has more than tripled to over 750 institutional investor and service provider signatories, including public and corporate pension funds, state and municipal treasuries, educational endowments, foundations, healthcare systems, investment managers, consultants and data providers, representing approximately 20% of PRI's signatory base, globally. Additionally, PRI has expanded its US presence to include professionals in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Washington, DC.
Carol has more than 20 years of experience across investment banking, private equity and asset management. She has worked closely with CIOs, ESG teams, Investment Boards and Trustees at many of the world’s largest investors to guide them on the development of their ESG programs. Carol draws from her extensive analytical experience and knowledge of investment risk and materiality to educate investors on how ESG can enhance traditional investment approaches to improve risk-adjusted returns.
Carol is a frequent speaker at investment conferences globally including those organized by the CFA Institute, CAIA, the World Bank/ IMF and the United Nations as well as for media outlets such as Institutional Investor, the Economist, Bloomberg, Pensions & Investments and Responsible Investor Magazines in addition to investor-organized events. Carol has been a guest lecturer on ESG and responsible investment at many leading universities including Penn, Yale, Columbia and Brown.
Carol holds BS and BA degrees, cum laude in Finance and Economics from Boston University as well as an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Carol was an inaugural graduate of the Sustainability Leadership Forum at Yale University in 2016 and holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation. In addition to her financial education, Carol completed musical training at the Juilliard School.
Alan Kao
Principal and Global Director, ESG Services, Ramboll
Alan Kao is a Principal and Global Director for ESG Services at Ramboll. Alan has more than 30 years of experience in ESG and EHS due diligence for mergers and acquisitions, compliance auditing, and strategic regulatory compliance assistance. He works with financial, legal, and corporate clients to help them understand ESG risks and opportunities in M&A transactions. Alan assists companies with identifying priority ESG topics, evaluating the competitive landscape through benchmarking studies, setting targets that align with the companies’ ambitions, and defining implementation roadmaps and communication strategies to achieve their ESG objectives. He also works with clients to evaluate climate resiliency issues and assess physical and transition risks associated with climate change, as well as navigating the evolving landscape of sustainability reporting and disclosures (e.g., SFDR, CSRD, CSDDD).
Ramboll
Ramboll is a global sustainability, engineering, architecture and management consulting company, working with clients as their Partner for Sustainable Change. Our globally recognized ESG and sustainability practice has earned a reputation for technical and scientific excellence and innovation. A market leader in EHS and ESG due diligence, Ramboll supports investors throughout the buy-operate-sell cycle, completing hundreds of merger and acquisition transactions each year. We have a strong reputation for responsiveness and provide clear, commercially focused advice, which is built on our understanding of the processes, pace and language of transactions, as well as the differing requirements of representing acquirers, vendors and/or lenders. Our experts understand the traditional risks to investments – such as contaminated land – as well as the material areas around carbon, product safety and sustainability. Ramboll also provides services to support clients wherever they are on their ESG journey, from identifying ESG risks and opportunities to developing KPIs and targets, and implementing business-aligned ESG strategies.
Susan R. Kemball-Cook, Ph.D
Principal, Ramboll
Sue Kemball-Cook is a Principal in Ramboll’s Novato, CA Office. Her expertise includes climate change risk assessment and global and regional climate and air quality modeling. Sue leads Ramboll’s North America climate risk assessment team. Her recent work includes asset-level and portfolio climate risk assessment in the mining, chemical, real estate, hospitality, utility, port and industrial sectors. Sue has evaluated climate change impacts to support due diligence, climate risk disclosure, environmental impact assessment and adaptation planning. Sue received her undergraduate degree in physics from Yale University and her PhD in atmospheric science from the University of California, Davis. Prior to coming to Ramboll (then ENVIRON), Sue held postdoctoral appointments in global climate modeling at the University of Hawaii and in regional climate modeling at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Inna Khidekel
Partner, Capital Markets, Bridge Investment Group
Inna Khidekel is a Senior Managing Director in the Client Solutions Group at Bridge Investment Group and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. She is responsible for business and product development across Bridge’s global institutional client base. Inna serves on the Investment Committees of the Bridge Workforce & Affordable Housing and Bridge Office strategies. Inna also chairs Bridge Gives, Bridge’s charitable giving committee, and spearheaded and serves on the firmwide Bridge ESG Steering Committee. Inna is a prominent voice in the industry regarding a private sector solution to the US affordable housing crisis and helped to devise a new paradigm for impact reporting that provides actionable intelligence and transparency on community revitalization. Her work helped Bridge Investment Group’s Workforce and Affordable Housing strategy win ESG Private Fund of the Year, as well as to be recognized by UN PRI for real-world impact in addressing the “missing middle.” Inna also initiated Bridge’s partnership with TOIGO and PREA Foundation, to support diverse leadership in finance, and serves on the leadership committee of the Bridge Women’s Network (BWN).
Inna is a frequent writer, commentator, and blogger on the real estate industry. Most recently, she won the REFI US Awards and the Harvard Business School Women’s Rising Star Award and was recognized by Crain’s New York as a 2021 Notable Woman on Wall Street and as a Woman of Influence by Globest. Real Estate Forum.
Before joining Bridge Investment Group, Inna worked at Goldman, Sachs & Co. in the Investment Management Division where she served as a trusted advisor and managed assets on a three‐person advisory team with over $4 billion in assets under management. Prior to Goldman Sachs, Inna worked for Lehman Brothers and Nomura in their London offices, as a Vice President and founding team member in High Yield and Distressed Credit, advising institutional clients on the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis. She began her career at Lehman Brothers on a start‐up Emerging Markets Equities trading desk in London. Inna received her Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, with concentrations in Finance and Legal Studies & Business Ethics, and her Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School. She is a Chartered Financial Analyst and a member of the CFA Society New York. Inna serves on the Board of the Harvard Business School Women’s Association.
Jay L. Koh
Managing Director, The Lightsmith Group
Lightsmith is the first private equity firm to invest in resilience to climate change. Mr. Koh has over 20 years of experience in private equity and sustainable investment. Prior to Lightsmith, Mr. Koh held senior investment roles at Siguler Guff, R3 Capital Partners, Carlyle, and OPIC (now US DFC). Mr. Koh founded and chairs Global Adaptation & Resilience Investment Working Group (GARI). Mr. Koh holds an A.B. magna cum laude in Economics from Harvard, a master's degree in Management from Oxford, and a J.D. from Yale Law School.
Emily S. Kreps
Head of Investor Initiatives, CDP North America
Emily Kreps leads the CDP investor program for North America. She is experienced in defining and leading sustainable and responsible businesses, including a period as head of corporate development for a renewable and alternative energy company, as well as various start-up CFO positions. In her previous career, Emily spent over a decade as an investment banker and an equity salesperson for Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse. She received her degree from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.
Justin Kulla
Partner of Impact Investing and Head of ESG, TZP Group
Justin Kulla joined TZP Group as a Partner of Impact Investing and Head of ESG in May 2020. Mr. Kulla began his career at Credit Suisse where he was an engineer working in New York, London and Zurich, and at Google where he worked in business development. Following business school, Justin joined the Hearst Corporation's venture capital group focused on early stage internet and media investments. In 2010, Justin was a founding member of Weld North, an education technology private equity firm backed by KKR. During his tenure at Weld North, Justin invested in Edgenuity, Imagine Learning, The Learning House and Performance Matters and held senior operating
roles including as Chief Technology Officer at Edgenuity. In 2015, Justin founded and served as CEO of BusinessBlocks, an education technology company for working adults and small businesses. BusinessBlocks was acquired in 2017 by AmTrust Financial Services, a Fortune 500 insurance company and following the acquisition Justin served as SVP of M&A and Investments. Justin currently serves as a director on the board of Errigal and Force Management.
Justin holds BS and MISM degrees from Carnegie Mellon University, an MBA from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MPA from Harvard University. He's a frequent lecturer at leading universities including Stanford, MIT, and USC, a board advisor at 826 National, and a Term Member on the Council on Foreign Relations.
TZP Group, a multi-strategy private equity firm managing approximately $2.0 billion across its family of funds, is focused on control, growth equity and structured capital investments in business services and consumer companies. Founded in 2007, TZP targets companies with solid historical performance and sustainable value propositions and aims to be a “Partner of Choice” for business owners and management teams. TZP seeks to invest primarily in closely-held, private companies in which the owners desire to retain a significant stake and partner with an investor with complementary operating and financial skills to accelerate company growth, increase profitability, and maximize the value of their retained stake. TZP leverages its investment professionals’ operating and investment experience to provide strategic and operational guidance and is dedicated to long-term value creation. For more information, please visit www.tzpgroup.com.
Scott Li
Managing Director, CRG
Scott Li joined CRG in 2015 and is a Managing Director. Mr. Li has been focused on the healthcare industry as an advisor, investor and executive for over 15 years. Mr. Li helps leads investment sourcing, diligence, and execution for CRG activity in various sectors, including healthcare services and specialty pharma.
Prior to joining CRG, Mr. Li was an investment banker with Hammond Hanlon Camp LLC (“H2C”). Mr. Li’s previous investment banking experience also includes positions in the Life Sciences Investment Banking Group of Lazard and the North American M&A Group of J.P. Morgan. Prior to joining H2C, Mr. Li was the Chief Financial Officer of pingmd, a provider of an online communication platform for primary care physicians. Mr. Li was also previously an Associate with ABS Ventures, the venture capital arm of DB Capital Partners. Mr. Li. received an AB in economics from Princeton University in 1997 and an M.B.A from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 2004.
Andrew Malk
Managing Partner, Malk Partners
Andrew Malk, Managing Partner of Malk Partners, founded the firm in 2009 after recognizing that even the most astute investors and well-managed companies need guidance to leverage environmental, social, and governance (ESG) management to protect and create value. Malk Partners is the category creator of private market ESG advisory, and Andrew has worked with over 100 investment firms, representing more than $700 billion in assets under management, to design and deliver impactful ESG strategies. Andrew has built long-standing advisory partnerships by earning the trust of Malk’s clients.
Malk Partners is the foremost advisor to private equity firms on creating and protecting value through environmental, social, and governance (ESG) management. We guide our clients throughout the fund and investment cycle to mitigate risk, secure opportunities, and satisfy their investors.
Our reputation is built from our singular focus on ESG management. We understand our clients’ processes, collaborate closely with other due diligence vendors, calibrate our findings to a materiality threshold, and work efficiently with management and deal teams.
Malk has advised many of the world’s most respected investment firms, helping them to define ESG goals, conduct ESG due diligence reviews, and support portfolio companies in mitigating ESG risks. Our fully-customized services and solutions keep our clients doing what they do best: buying, growing, and selling businesses.
You can learn more at www.malk.com
Isobel Markham
Senior Editor, Private Equity Group, Americas, PEI
Isobel is the Senior Editor, Private Equity Group, Americas. She joined PEI in September 2014 as a staff writer, was promoted to senior reporter in May 2015 and became editor of Private Equity International's monthly print publication in January 2017. Isobel oversees the private equity editorial team in New York City, contributing news and analysis to Private Equity International and private funds management.
Isobel graduated with honours from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, and holds a Master’s degree in Comparative Literature from Dartmouth College and a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Russian from the University of Leeds.
Ken Mehlman
Partner, Global Head of Public Affairs, Co-Head of KKR Global Impact, KKR
Ken Mehlman joined KKR in 2008 and is a Partner, Global Head of Public Affairs & Co-Head of KKR Global Impact at KKR. Since joining the firm, Mr. Mehlman has architected KKR’s responsible investment efforts to create shared value for KKR investors and other stakeholders. He has also worked to identify investment opportunities by leveraging geopolitical, public policy & ESG trends. KKR Global Impact is the firm’s private market investing platform investing in commercial solutions to global challenges associated with climate change, lifelong learning, sustainable living & inclusive growth. Mr. Mehlman has focused on purpose & equity throughout his career in government, politics, business and philanthropy. He spent a dozen years in national politics and government service, including as 62nd Chairman of the Republican National Committee and Campaign Manager of President Bush's 2004 re-election campaign, the only Republican presidential campaign in 30 years to win the popular vote. Mr. Mehlman also served in high level positions in Congress and the White House. He holds a B.A. from Franklin & Marshall College and J.D. from Harvard Law School. Mr. Mehlman is a trustee of Mt. Sinai Hospital of New York, Franklin & Marshall College, Teach for America, the United Negro College Fund and Seizing Every Opportunity (SEO). Mr. Mehlman was active in the successful effort for marriage equality, employment non-discrimination and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Ryan Miller
Senior Vice President and General Manager, Global Financial Services, Persefoni
Ryan leads Persefoni's Financial Services division which includes strategy, product, development, sales and go-to-market functions. Prior to Persefoni, he spent seven years at Malk Partners, a boutique management consultancy that works exclusively with alternative investment firms and their portfolio companies to create and protect value through Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and Impact management, where he finished as a Partner. He had a decade of expertise related to sustainability in the private markets and other complex financial asset classes.
Persefoni is the leading Climate Management and Accounting Platform (CMAP). The company’s Software-as-a-Service solutions enable enterprises and financial institutions to meet stakeholder and regulatory climate disclosure requirements with the highest degrees of trust, transparency, and ease. As the ERP of Carbon, the Persefoni platform provides users a single source of carbon truth across their organization, enabling them to manage their carbon transactions and inventory with the same rigor and confidence as their financial transactions.
Dan Mistler
Partner, Head of ESG Advisory, ACA Group
Dan Mistler is a Partner and Global Head of ESG at ACA Group. ACA is a global governance, regulatory, and compliance advisor, which provides the finance community with ESG support. Dan founded and built the ESG practice at ACA, which has supported approximately 500 asset managers and portfolio companies with ESG advice and ESG data/monitoring technology. Prior to ACA, Dan held leadership positions in both large and boutique ESG advisory firms, where he specialized in ESG for a variety of sectors, including energy, consumer, finance, food/beverage and healthcare. Dan holds a BA from The College of New Jersey and an MPP from George Washington University.
ACA's Compliance Consulting
Our global team of regulatory compliance professionals includes former SEC, FINRA, FCA, CFTC, NFA, and state regulators, as well as former senior managers from prominent financial institutions and advisory firms. We work with compliance and legal professionals to review and develop compliance programs based on best practices, current regulatory requirements, and robust oversight processes.
ACA's ESG Advisory
Gain clarity on your ESG requirements and build a strong compliance program with ACA. Our dedicated advisory practice helps firms of all sizes develop and monitor ESG programs to mitigate risk, make informed choices, grow profitably and sustainably, and combat greenwashing in the process.
Anna Murray
Senior Managing Director, Global Head of Sustainable Investing, Total Fund Management, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan
Anna Murray is the Senior Managing Director and Global Head of Sustainable Investing at Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, which manages assets worth $249.8 billion. In her role, she collaborates closely with the pension plan's investment division, steering the execution of Ontario Teachers' climate strategy. Anna is the driving force behind the continuous integration and assessment of environmental, social, and governance opportunities and risks within the investment process.
Prior to her role at Ontario Teachers’, Anna served as the Global Head of ESG for Sun Life Capital Management (Canada) Inc., where her contributions were instrumental in infusing ESG risk management and value creation principles into global investment decisions.
Anna's influential presence extends to her role as co-chair of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment's Real Estate Advisory Committee. She is also the founder of Young Women in Energy, a non-profit organization, and plays an active role as a board member at the Canadian Green Building Association (CAGBC) while co-chairing the Environmental Committee at the Pension Real Estate Association (PREA).
Anna's achievements have earned her prestigious accolades, including recognition in Canada's Top 40 Under 40, the Top 100 Women in Canada, Canada's Clean50, and the Making a Difference for Women Award and Clean50.
Viviana Occhionorelli
ESG Director, Astorg
Viviana joined Astorg in 2018 and is a member of the Corporate Functions Team.
Before that she worked as Global Sustainability Manager at Barco and as European Environmental Manager at Sony Electronics. Viviana has an expertise in circular economy, eco-design and supply chain sustainability.
Viviana studied Sustainable Development at Imperial College London, she has a master in Environmental Technology from Oxford Brookes and an MBA from Vlerick Business School.
Jeff Pentland
Managing Director, Northleaf Capital Partners
Jeff is a member of Northleaf's Investment Committees and oversees the origination, evaluation and monitoring of Northleaf’s private markets investments, with a focus on North American and Asian opportunities. Jeff also chairs Northleaf’s ESG and Business Development Committees and is a member of Northleaf’s Human Resources Committee. Jeff leads Northleaf’s investor relations and business development activities, working closely with existing and prospective investors and investment consultants to design, develop and monitor their private markets portfolios. Jeff serves on the advisory boards of several partnerships within Northleaf’s portfolio. Prior to joining Northleaf’s predecessor, TD Capital, in 2005, Jeff was a management consultant with McKinsey & Company where he specialized in corporate strategy, finance and organizational behaviour, advising companies in financial services and other sectors. Previously, Jeff was a corporate/securities lawyer with Stikeman Elliott in Toronto, and Hamada Matsumoto in Tokyo, where he advised clients on private equity, infrastructure, corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions transactions. Prior to that, Jeff worked with the United Nations Development Programme in New York and West Africa.
Jeff received a B.A. (First Class Honours) from the University of British Columbia, an M.Phil. in International Relations from Oxford University and an LL.B. (Dean’s Honours List) from the Faculty of Law, University of Toronto.
Christine Pishko
US Relationship Manager, Global Signatory Relations and Outreach, PRI
Christine Pishko is a US Relationship Manager with the PRI responsible for Signatory Relations and Outreach. Prior to joining PRI, Christine held the role of Managing Director and lead Client Portfolio Manager for responsible investment strategies at Nuveen, a TIAA company. Previously, she held various investment product specialist roles, including director in the Retirement Services Group at New York Life Insurance Company, director and alternatives product specialist covering private equity, hedge funds, real estate and timber with Morgan Stanley’s Global Wealth Management Alternative Investment Group, and assistant vice president at Credit Suisse Asset Management, focusing on fixed income separately managed account strategies. Christine holds a Bachelors of the Arts in English from the State University of New York at Potsdam and an Masters of Business Administration in financial management from Pace University.
Brooks Preston
Division Director, Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Asset’s (MIRA)
Brooks joined MIRA in December 2017 and is responsible for sustainable asset management, product development, and emerging markets strategy. Before joining Macquarie, Brooks served as Vice President and Head of Investment Funds for the Overseas Private Investment Corporation from 2014 to 2017. Sectors included infrastructure, microfinance, energy, healthcare, financial services, agriculture, housing and real estate, with a focus on sustainability, development, and climate change mitigation. Prior to OPIC, he was the co-managing partner and founder of the Virgin Green Fund Emerging Markets and a member of its Investment Committee. VGF EM focused on growth and infrastructure investments in the sustainability sectors in emerging Europe including CEE, Russia/CIS and Turkey. Prior to founding VGF EM, Brooks was the Principal at Wolfensohn & Company, an emerging market private equity where he focused on direct investments in low carbon energy businesses in global emerging markets. From 2003 to 2008, Brooks had senior management roles at BP plc, including head of global business development and M&A for BP Solar, and chief of staff to a Group Vice President Brooks was Chief of Staff to the Under Secretary of Natural Resources and Environment and Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Forestry at USDA in the Clinton/Gore Administration. He wrote 15 environmental laws passed by the U.S. Senate as Professional Staff Member at the Senate Committee Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, where he covered forestry legislation for the U.S. Senate. Brooks has a BA from Dartmouth College (Geography & Environmental Studies) and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and studied abroad in Nairobi, Kenya.
Sanaz Raczynski
Head of Sustainability, Kohlberg
Sanaz Raczynski is a Managing Director and Head of Sustainability at Kohlberg. Sanaz is an active participant on Kohlberg’s investment team, reporting to the Chief Investment Officer. She sets the sustainability strategy and drives the implementation of ESG best practices at Kohlberg. Sanaz also acts as a sustainability strategist and a resource for Kohlberg portfolio companies. Sanaz is an active contributor to industry-wide initiatives designed to promote the adoption of ESG best practices within the private markets industry.
Prior to joining Kohlberg, Sanaz was a Managing Director and Head of Sustainability for Nuveen Real Assets and Private Markets, which include investments across farmland, timberland, agribusiness, commodities, private equity and private debt.
Sanaz received a M.Sc. in Sustainability Management from Columbia University, an M.A. from New York University and a B.A. from University of California at Los Angeles.
Kohlberg and Company is a leading U.S. private equity firm based in Mount Kisco, New York. Since its inception in 1987, Kohlberg has organized nine private equity funds, through which it has raised $11 billion of committed equity capital. Over its 35+ year history, Kohlberg has completed 85+ buyout transactions and more than 200 add-on acquisitions, with an aggregate transaction value of nearly $30 billion. For more information, please visit www.kohlberg.com.
Leela Ramnath
Senior Vice President, Head of ESG, Warburg Pincus
Leela Ramnath is Senior Vice President and Head of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) at Warburg Pincus, where she leads global ESG strategy for the firm, collaborates with investment teams and portfolio companies to drive and optimize implementation, and manages key partnerships. Leela has twenty years of experience working across capital markets, emerging markets, and ESG. Prior to joining Warburg Pincus, she led innovation and sustainability at an impact-focused investment firm and worked in international development as a Technoserve Fellow in East Africa and at the Millennium Challenge Corporation. She previously worked at Barclays covering emerging markets and in securitized products at a global insurer. Leela is a board member at ClimeCo, LLC and Ownership Works. She a former Term Member at the Council on Foreign Relations and holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Master of Arts in International Relations from the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University.
Warburg Pincus LLC is a leading global private equity firm focused on growth investing. The firm has more than $60 billion in private equity assets under management. The firm’s active portfolio of more than 200 companies is highly diversified by stage, sector, and geography. Warburg Pincus is an experienced partner to management teams seeking to build durable companies with sustainable value. Founded in 1966, Warburg Pincus has raised 19 private equity funds, which have invested more than $90 billion in over 930 companies in more than 40 countries. The firm is headquartered in New York with offices in Amsterdam, Beijing, Berlin, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Luxembourg, Mumbai, Mauritius, San Francisco, São Paulo, Shanghai, and Singapore.
Don Reed
Executive Director, Anthesis Group
An Executive Director in the Anthesis Group’s North American business, Don has 18+ years of experience helping operating companies, asset managers, and financial institutions develop and implement sustainability strategies that create business value by growing revenue, enhancing brands, improving operating efficiency, and managing risks.
Throughout his career, Don has worked with both large operating companies and with providers of capital to those companies to better understand the nature and scale of those risks and opportunities, manage them over planning horizons, and integrate them into existing risk management and opportunity systems.
Don has helped a Money Center bank develop a quantitative system for analyzing carbon asset risk in the power and utility industry using existing data sources. He is also helping a global independent power producer develop its first climate report following the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) which will break ground on analyzing opportunities.
Don is co-author of “Resilience: Sustaining the supply chain” published by PwC and "Single Bottom Line Sustainability" published by Ecos Corporation, and author of “Stalking the Elusive Financial Case for Corporate Sustainability” and “Green Shareholder Value-Hype or Hit?” published by the World Resources Institute.
A Chartered Financial Analyst, Don has an AB degree in Political Economy from Princeton University and an MBA in Finance from the Stern School at New York University both with honors.
Adam Reinmann
Managing Director, CEO of Wendel North America, Wendel
Adam Reinmann is Associate Director at Wendel. He participated in setting up Wendel's office in New York.
Since opening in 2013, the New York office has invested approximately $ 1 billion in North America.
Before joining Wendel, Adam worked at Onex Corporation, an American investment company, where he led numerous investments. In 2009, he joined the executive committee of Celestica, Inc. as Chief of Staff to the General Manager. Adam began his career in the JPMorgan group in New York.
He holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BS from Binghamton University.
Candice Richards
Managing Director, Head of ESG and Compliance Officer, MidOcean Partners
Candice Richards joined MidOcean Partners as a Compliance Officer in 2013. Previously, Mrs. Richards was a Compliance Officer at Gresham Investment Management LLC, a financial investment advisory firm. Prior to this, Mrs. Richards was a Compliance Associate at Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. Mrs. Richards is responsible for implementing ESG initiatives across the Firm, and is a member of the Firm's ESG Committee and Pricing/Valuation Committee. She is admitted to the New York State and State of Connecticut Bar.
MidOcean Partners is a premier New York-based alternative asset manager specializing in middle-market private equity and alternative credit investments. Since its inception in 2003, MidOcean Private Equity has targeted investments in high-quality middle-market companies in the consumer and business services sectors. MidOcean Credit Partners was launched in 2009 and currently manages a series of alternative credit strategies, collateralized loan obligations (CLOs), and customized separately managed accounts.
Jay Rose
Managing Partner, Amulet Capital Partners
Jay Rose has spent the majority of his career investing in the healthcare industry. Prior to co-founding Amulet Capital Partners, Jay was a principal with Health Evolution Partners and JLL Partners. He began his career at Goldman, Sachs & Co., working in healthcare investment banking and in the principal investment area. He currently serves as a director of Synteract, Open Health, US Digestive Health and Children’s Choice. Jay received his bachelor’s degree from Swarthmore College and a doctorate in medicine from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Abrielle Rosenthal
Managing Director, Chief Compliance Officer and co-Chief Human Resources Officer, TowerBrook Capital Partners L.P.
Ms. Rosenthal is a Managing Director, Chief Compliance Officer and co-Chief Human Resources Officer of TowerBrook Capital Partners. Prior to joining TowerBrook, Ms. Rosenthal was a corporate partner in the London office of Kirkland & Ellis advising U.S. and European private equity clients in cross-border leveraged buyouts. Ms. Rosenthal received a B.S. from the Wharton School (finance) and a B.A. in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, a J.D. from Columbia University Law School, and an M.Phil. from Queen’s College, Cambridge. Ms. Rosenthal holds the Series 7, 24, 63, 79 and 99 licenses.
TowerBrook Capital Partners is a purpose-driven investment management firm headquartered in London and New York. The firm has raised in excess of $17.4 billion to date and invests in private equity and structured opportunities through its family of funds. As a disciplined investor with a commitment to fundamental value, the firm seeks to deliver superior, risk-adjusted returns to investors on a consistent and responsible basis. TowerBrook’s value creation strategy aims to transform the capabilities and prospects of the businesses in which it invests. TowerBrook is the first mainstream private equity firm to be certified as a B Corporation. B Corporation certification is administered by the non-profit B Lab organization and is awarded to companies that demonstrate leadership in their commitment to environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards and responsible business practices.
David Russell
Head of Responsible Investment, USS Investment Management Ltd
David heads the RI Team of USS Investment Management, the fund manager for Universities Superannuation Scheme. USS has a RI team of seven and a RI strategy which focuses on integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into its investment processes across asset classes (including private assets), and on engaging with public equities and other assets where these issues pose a risk to the fund’s investments.
David is a former Board member of the UNPRI Association and is currently a member of the PRI Asset Owner Committee. He is an advisor to the Board of the IIGCC, which USS set up in 2001, and on the Board of the International Centre for Pensions Management, the UK Investment Associations’ Sustainability and Responsible Investment Committee, and the FTSE Sustainable Investment and ESG Advisory Committees. He is also a founding Board member of the Transition Pathway Initiative.
David has previously worked as an Environmental Manager for a UK retail company, and as a University lecturer in Environmental Management. He has a Masters Degree in Environmental Impact Assessment.
Jon Samuels
Partner & Co-Head, Vistria
Jon Samuels is a Partner and Co-Head of the Vistria Portfolio Resources Group, a Chicago-based next generation private investment firm that operates at the intersection of purpose and profit, with a focus on the healthcare, education and financial services sectors. At Vistria, Jon co-leads the firm’s Portfolio Resources Group, focused on portfolio-wide strategy execution and value creation. Jon drives particular focus to the firm’s impact investing and policy strategy, working closely with Vistria’s portfolio companies to build and grow their impact programs. Jon joined Vistria following nearly two decades in public service, during which he held senior roles in the U.S. Government and non-profit organizations. His experience in the public sector combined with years as a private equity professional position Jon to understand the rich impact opportunity and imperative at the junction of the public and private sectors. Jon served from 2009-2014 on President Obama’s senior White House staff where he was charged with working across government to ensure the President’s policy priorities advanced through congress. Prior, Jon spent a decade on Capitol Hill where he was Senior Adviser to the U.S. House Majority Whip, Congressman James Clyburn and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. Jon currently serves on the board of the non-profit Moran Center for Youth Advocacy. He is an Executive Mentor for the Loyola University Quinlan School of Business’ Baumhart Scholars MBA Program at the Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise and Responsibility. Jon also serves on the Leadership Council of the Kennedy Forum, Illinois.
Matt Schey
Senior Director, Sustainable Investing and Strategic Projects, Institutional Limited Partners Association (ILPA)
Matt Schey is Senior Director of Sustainable Investing and Strategic Projects at the Institutional Limited Partners Association (ILPA), where he leads the Association’s sustainable investing and ESG efforts.
Prior to joining ILPA in 2019, Matt was a management consultant specializing in providing business transformation advisory services to clients in both public and private markets. Previously, he was a manager at Cambridge Associates, supporting the firm’s institutional client consulting business and leading the daily operations of its Singapore-based performance reporting function, serving APAC, Europe, and ME&A client relationships.
Matt holds a BA in International Business & Management from Dickinson College and an MBA from the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School.
The Institutional Limited Partners Association (ILPA) engages, empowers and connects limited partners to maximize their performance on an individual, institutional and collective basis. ILPA’s members include public and private pensions, insurers, endowments and foundations, family offices, development finance institutions, and sovereign wealth funds. With over 575 member institutions representing more than 2 trillion USD of private equity assets under management, ILPA is the only global organization dedicated exclusively to advancing the interests of LPs and their beneficiaries through best-in-class education, research, advocacy and events.
Elizabeth Seeger
Managing Director, Sustainable Investing, KKR
Elizabeth Seeger joined KKR in 2009 to help oversee the consideration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues throughout KKR's investment process, including the management of KKR’s ESG-focused value creation programs for its portfolio companies. She is also a member of KKR’s Global Impact team. Ms. Seeger was previously a project manager in the corporate partnerships program of Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). Prior to EDF, she was a consultant with the Corporate Executive Board (CEB), where she advised companies from a broad range of industries in Europe and the United States. Before CEB, Ms. Seeger was an associate at the Environmental Law Institute, a non-profit organization focused on environmental law and policy research and education. She is a 2013 Aspen Institute First Movers Fellow and became a member of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board in 2017. Ms. Seeger has close to 20 years of experience working on corporate environmental and social issues and earned a B.A. with honors from the University of Chicago and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
KKR
KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management and capital markets and insurance solutions. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and supporting growth in its portfolio companies and communities. KKR sponsors investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR’s insurance subsidiaries offer retirement, life and reinsurance products under the management of The Global Atlantic Financial Group. References to KKR’s investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries.
Jennifer Signori
Managing Director, ESG and Impact Investing, Neuberger Berman
Jennifer Signori is a Managing Director at Neuberger Berman, and joined the firm in 2017. Jennifer is leading the development and implementation of impact investing strategies with a portfolio management focus on private equity, and oversees environmental, social, and governance integration in private markets and multi-asset class solutions. Previously, Jennifer was a Director at Bridges Fund Management, a specialist impact investing private equity fund manager, where she played a key role in establishing the U.S. presence, including new fund development and executing due diligence and impact management of investments. Jennifer began her career in investment banking at J.P. Morgan, where she conducted credit analysis and structured syndicated leveraged loans and bonds. Jennifer also worked in a number of investment and advisory roles focused on impact investing, including at Imprint Capital and Next Street. Jennifer received a BS of Foreign Service in International Economics from Georgetown University and an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Jennifer is on the Principles for Responsible Investment Private Equity Advisory Committee, Wharton Private Equity Venture Capital Association Board, and Impact Management Project Advisory Board.
Neuberger Berman was founded in 1939 to do one thing: deliver compelling investment results for our clients over the long term. This remains our singular purpose today, driven by a culture rooted in deep fundamental research, the pursuit of investment insight and continuous innovation on behalf of clients, and facilitated by the free exchange of ideas across the organization.
As a private, independent, employee-owned investment manager, Neuberger Berman is structurally aligned with the long-term interests of our clients. We have no external parent or public shareholders to serve, nor other lines of business to distract us from our core mission. And with our employees and their families invested alongside our clients—plus 100% of employee deferred cash compensation directly linked to team and firm strategies—we are truly in this together.
From offices in 36 cities across 25 countries, Neuberger Berman manages a range of equity, fixed income, private equity and hedge fund strategies on behalf of institutions, advisors and individual investors worldwide. With more than 600 investment professionals and over 2,400 employees in total, Neuberger Berman has built a diverse team of individuals united in their commitment to client outcomes and investment excellence. Our culture has afforded us enviable retention rates among our senior investment staff and has earned us citations as first or second (among those with 1,000 or more employees) in the Pensions & Investments “Best Places to Work in Money Management” survey each year since 2014.
Andrew Siwo
Director of Sustainable Investments and Climate Solutions, New York State Common Retirement Fund
Andrew Siwo is the Director of Sustainable Investments and Climate Solutions at the New York State Common Retirement Fund. He is charged with providing leadership and oversight of sustainable investment efforts across the Fund’s $260 billion portfolio. Previously, Siwo was an Investment Director and Head of Mission-Related Investments at Crewcial Partners, an investment consultancy to over 150 leading foundations and endowments.
Prior to joining Crewcial Partners, Siwo was a manager at the Global Impact Investing Networking (GIIN). In his capacity there, he was responsible for the operation, sourcing, and development of ImpactBase, the largest platform of impact investment funds globally, which he grew by north of $10 billion and approved more than 100 prospective impact funds targeting a financial return as well as social/environmental benefits. He also educated and fostered institutional investors seeking exposure to sustainable investments.
Prior to joining the GIIN, Siwo spent five years in the investment banking division at JP Morgan—most recently in the Global Special Opportunities Group, a $3 billion proprietary portfolio of principal investments in private equity, debt, mezzanine, infrastructure, and real estate. He also held roles on the Rates Desk executing fixed income financing transactions as well as the Securitized Products Group valuing collateralized mortgage obligations.
Before JP Morgan, Siwo was a member of the Corporate Finance and Real Estate Strategy Group at Victoria's Secret where he oversaw capital budgeting. He began his career at E*Trade Financial managing a team of investment representatives serving active traders and high net-worth investors. His investment articles have been printed in various industry publications.
Siwo completed an MPA in Finance and Fiscal Policy at Cornell University and holds a BA in Accounting from Morehouse College. He has held FINRA Series 7, 63, and 24 licenses. He teaches an ESG course at The Wagner Graduate of Public Service at NYU where he is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Public Service. Siwo also serves on the Board of New York Professional Advisors to Community Entrepreneurs (NYPACE).
The New York State Common Retirement Fund is one of the largest public pension funds in the United States. The Fund holds and invests the assets of the New York State and Local Retirement System on behalf of more than one million state and local government employees and retirees and their beneficiaries. It has consistently been ranked as one of the best managed and best funded plans in the nation.
Carl Spevacek
Manager, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Services RPS Group
Carl leads the ESG Service group within RPS’s North American Due Diligence practice. He manages RPS’s North American ESG Service offerings, including strategy and policy development, due diligence work streams, and monitoring and reporting for financial institutions. Carl’s responsibilities include coordinating and overseeing ESG screening and due diligence assessments, strategy and policy implementation, training, and benchmarking. Carl also works with portfolio companies and corporate clients to target ESG initiatives and track and measure success. Carl has nine years of experience in ESG consulting and management, including serving as a liaison between clients, counsel, corporate representatives, insurers, and lenders. He is a graduate of Colgate University and received a Master of Science in Environmental Management from the University of Michigan.
Megan Starr
Global Head of Impact, The Carlyle Group
Megan Starr is a Partner and the Global Head of Impact at Carlyle. She is based in New York. In her role, Ms. Starr works to design and execute Carlyle's cohesive, long-term impact strategy. She also oversees the dedicated ESG team, which leads the firm's investment diligence and portfolio company engagement work on material ESG issues.
Prior to joining Carlyle, Ms. Starr was within Goldman Sachs' Investment Management Division, where she helped build the ESG and impact investing business. Previously, Ms. Starr served in roles at The JPB Foundation, a $3.8B private family foundation based in New York City.
Ms. Starr received an M.B.A. and a Certificate in Public Management and Social Innovation from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, where she was an Arbuckle Leadership Fellow, and an A.B. in Environmental Science and Public Policy from Harvard College, where she graduated magna cum laude with highest honors in field of concentration.
Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) is a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across three business segments: Global Private Equity, Global Credit and Investment Solutions. With $276 billion of assets under management as of June 30, 2021, Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of its investors, portfolio companies and the communities in which we live and invest. Carlyle employs nearly 1,800 people in 27 offices across five continents. Further information is available at carlyle.com. Follow Carlyle on Twitter @OneCarlyle.
Jordan Stutts
Senior Writer, Private Markets, PEI
Jordan Stutts is a senior reporter at Infrastructure Investor based in New York. Since 2015, Jordan has covered trends in the funding and financing of infrastructure assets around the world. His stories range from the simple power-purchase agreement to how the use of data is making assets more efficient. Prior to joining Infrastructure Investor, Jordan produced videos on international affairs and reported local news in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Humberto Suarez
Controller, Lafise Investment Management
Humberto Suarez is a Senior Controller & CG Officer for Lafise Investment Management (LIM)- a GP that manages Private Equity Funds investing in high growth SMEs in Central America, Panama, Dominican Republic and Colombia. He gets involved in the complete investment cycles for CASEIF funds ‘portfolio companies across its region with an active participation throughout the Funds´ Value Addition Model for the Investees, which includes financial due diligence, coaching, and Corporate Governance and ESG reporting. Humberto has 12 year of experience in PE-VC and has held Directorships in various industries such as Agroindustry, Manufacturing, Retail, Education and Renewable Energy.
Prior to LIM, Humberto worked for PricewaterHouseCoopers Nicaragua and participated in Regional deals, mergers & acquisitions transactions and auditing. Born in Nicaragua, he holds a BA in Accounting from Harding University, USA and a MBA from Thomas Moore University. Humberto is based in Nicaragua and Costa Rica where LIM has offices.
Suzanne Tavill
Global Head of Responsible Investment, Partner, StepStone Group
Ms. Tavill is the global head of responsible investing, which encompasses ESG and Impact across all asset classes and investment strategies. She is also a member of the private equity team.
Prior to StepStone, Ms. Tavill was responsible for AMP Capital’s global alternative investment platform that included private equity, infrastructure and real assets. Before that, she spent five years at Van Eyk Research in Sydney, the last four as head of research. Before moving to Australia, she was an executive director at Goldman Sachs Investment Management, responsible for their UK small-and mid-cap portfolios.
Ms. Tavill received an MSc in finance and economics from the London School of Economics, in addition to a BBS with honors in economics and honors in finance from the University of Cape Town, South Africa.
StepStone Group Inc. is a global private markets investment firm focused on providing customized investment solutions and advisory and data services to our clients. Our clients include some of the world’s largest public and private defined benefit and defined contribution pension funds, sovereign wealth funds and insurance companies, as well as prominent endowments, foundations, family offices and private wealth clients, which include high-net-worth and mass affluent individuals. We partner with our clients to develop and build private markets portfolios designed to meet their specific objectives across the private equity, infrastructure, private debt and real estate asset classes. These portfolios utilize several types of synergistic investment strategies with third-party fund managers, including commitments to funds (“primaries”), acquiring stakes in existing funds on the secondary market (“secondaries”) and investing directly into companies (“co-investments”). As of March 2022, we oversaw $588 billion of private markets allocations, including $137 billion of assets under management (“AUM”).
Michael Underhill
Chief Investment Officer, Capital Innovations, LLC
Michael is the author of the acclaimed Handbook of Infrastructure Investing, has published hundreds of papers on investing and finance. Recognized for his expertise as a polymath, he is frequently asked to speak on topics such as investment policy, portfolio management, and the risk characteristics of Real Asset investing. He is a regular contributor to Bloomberg Media, the CFA Institute, EDHEC Risk Institute, guest speaker at Wharton and leading think tanks like the Inter-American Dialogue.
Michael is Chairman Emeritus of the UNPRI Infrastructure Work stream and one of the world's most provocative, respected financial analysts. Investors have used Michael’s award-winning real estate, natural resources and infrastructure investment strategies worldwide.
Michael is responsible for overseeing global equity investment strategies and leads Capital Innovations’ Investment Policy Group, a forum for analyzing broader secular and cyclical trends that Capital Innovations believes will influence investment opportunities. Recognized for his expertise in Real Asset investing, he is a regular contributor to Bloomberg Television, Radio and Bloomberg Events.
Prior to co-founding Capital Innovations in 2007 with Susan Dambekaln, Michael was a Vice President portfolio manager at AllianceBernstein working with large global institutional clients managing over 42 billion in assets. Before joining AllianceBernstein, he was a Vice President and partner at INVESCO in the financial institutions asset management division where he was responsible for over $8 billion in assets. Prior to INVESCO, Michael helped build the institutional fixed income capabilities for Janus Capital Corporation where the nascent effort grew to $1.8 billion at its peak. He started his career at Lehman Brothers in 1992.
Michael graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in quantitative Economics. He has completed post-graduate coursework from Pepperdine University centered on Fiduciary Studies, Universidad del Salvador (Argentina) in Latin American Economics and Stanford Law School where he focused on corporate governance. He is a former NCAA athlete and USA super league rugby player with his current hobbies ranging from marathon running, downhill skiing and surfing. He is Founder and Chairman of the Underhill Cancer Research Foundation.
Jemma Wolfe
Global Head of Commercial Strategy, Alternatives Capital Formation, Goldman Sachs
Jemma Wolfe is global head of commercial strategy for Alternatives Capital Formation within Goldman Sachs Asset Management, where she focuses on client strategy, product prioritization, and campaign design across the alternatives investment platform. Goldman Sachs invests in the full spectrum of alternatives, with over $450bn of assets across private credit, private equity, growth equity, real estate, infrastructure, hedge funds and sustainability. Clients access these solutions through direct strategies, customized partnerships, and open-architecture programs. Previously, Jemma held a variety of leadership roles at Goldman Sachs, including building Launch With GS, the firm’s $1 billion strategy to invest in companies and investment managers with diverse leadership teams. She earned a BA in International Relations from Stanford University and lives in New York City with her husband and son.
Goldman Sachs Asset Management is the primary investing area within Goldman Sachs, delivering investment and advisory services across public and private markets for the world’s leading institutions, financial advisors and individuals. The business is driven by a focus on partnership and shared success with its clients, seeking to deliver long-term investment performance drawing on its global network and deep expertise across industries and markets. Goldman Sachs Asset Management is a leading investor across fixed income, liquidity, equity, alternatives and multi-asset solutions. Goldman Sachs oversees more than $2.8 trillion in assets under supervision as of December 31, 2023.