UKSIF names Meehan as chair

Michael Meehan has been appointed as the new chair of the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF).

He replaces Lesley Alexander, former CEO of HSBC’s UK pension fund, who has served five years in the role.

Meehan has been involved in sustainable finance for nearly 20 years, including working with the UN, the World Economic Forum and the White House advising on sustainability issues.

He is a former CEO of the Global Reporting Initiative and Carbonetworks, an emissions reporting company. He currently sits on the boards of UK responsible investment groups including the Natural Capital Coalition, TCR Innovations and FullSight Partners.

UKSIF names Michael Meehan as chair
Michael Meehan, UKSIF Chair

Coming from a background in sustainability and impact finance, Meehan said he saw the international community prioritising critical sustainable risks more than ever before.

Meehan said: “I look forward to working with UKSIF and its leadership to help strengthen the critical role the organisation plays in sustainable and responsible investment, in the UK and around the world.”

“Over $90trn will be required by 2030 to achieve globally accepted goals in sustainable development and climate challenges, and I believe the UK’s financial community has a critical and leading role to play in this rapidly changing investment landscape,” he said.

Simon Howard, chief executive of UKSIF, thanked Lesley Alexander for her work with the organisation and highlighted her role in its efforts on fiduciary duty.

Alexander said: “We played a key role in modernising regulations so that now trustees have to be very clear in their Statement of Investment Principles about the factors they take into account when considering ESG issues and the impact of climate change.”

UKSIF has more than 240 members and affiliates from across the UK financial services sector.

Last Updated: 12 October 2019
Post comment

Leave a Reply