People Moves 15 June: Who is hiring who within the industry?

An overview of this week's most important hires and departures within the net zero investment  community.

Legal & General appoints CEO

Legal & General Group has named António Simões as group CEO, subject to regulatory approval.

He will join from Banco Santander where he had been regional head of Europe since September 2020. In this role, he led Santander’s businesses in the UK, Spain, Portugal and Poland, working across retail and commercial banking, corporate and investment banking, wealth management and insurance.

Prior to joining Santander, Simões spent 13 years at HSBC, including as chief executive of UK and Europe, and later as chief executive of global private banking, based in London and Hong Kong. He is also a former McKinsey & Company partner.

Simões’ appointment follows a selection process managed by John Kingman, group chair, and he will succeed Nigel Wilson as group CEO. Wilson has been group CEO of Legal & General since 2012, and in January announced his intention to retire from executive life.

Simões will take up his post formally on 1 January 2024. He will join the board of Legal & General Group on appointment, at which point Wilson will step down.

Nordea takes seat in Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance

Katja Bergqvist, head of Nordea Life and Pension (NLP), has taken a seat in the nine member steering group of the Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance (NZAOA).

The United Nations-convened Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance is a member-led initiative of more than 80 institutional investors. NLP acted as a co-founder in 2019.

Other members of the steering group include representatives from Allianz, AXA and Nippon Life. The steering group sets the strategic direction for the alliance in the when it comes to combating climate change. The first steering group meeting that Bergqvist will participate in takes place this month.

Price moves to CofE from Brunel

Helen Price has joined the Church of England Pensions Board as director of governance for responsible investment.

Previously she was head of stewardship at the Brunel Pension Partnership, from October 2021 to May this year. In the role she was responsible for integrating ESG factors into investment decisions, and acting as lead on stewardship, engagement and voting.

Price has also held positions including as an investment officer at Avon Pension Fund.

AXA IM names global COO

AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) has appointed Caroline Portel as global chief operating officer, effective 1 July 2023.

She will take over from Laurent Caillot, who will leave the AXA Group after less than a year in the current post.

Based in Paris, Portel will be a member of the AXA IM management board, reporting to Marco Morelli, executive chairman of AXA IM.

In this role, she will oversee technology, operations, data management, project management, security procurement, facilities and innovation,

Solar chief joins industry board

Ned Tozun, founder and director of solar energy financing firm d.light has joined the board of Global Off-Grid Lighting Association (GOGLA), a global association for the off-grid solar energy industry.

GOGLA looks to foster collaboration across the off-grid energy sector through its research, advocacy work, and organising of industry events.

Tozun aims to support the continuing evolution of GOGLA's strategy as the industry grows, with a focus on elevating the status of the off-grid energy sector and attracting more capital into the sector. He will also serve on the HR committee and support the search for a new executive director for the group.