ESG

8 April 2021
Green washing up
The SFDR aims to combat greenwashing, but what is actually expected from PE firms, and what do the new rules mean for operational leaders?

7 April 2021
The Techwork: Ahmed Khamassi, Stirling Square Capital Partners
Ahmed Khamassi is head of data science at the firm

30 March 2021
MUFG IS launches ESG reporting tool
The reporting tool initially uses RepRisk data and MUFG IS plans to add further data sources

30 March 2021
European GPs continue to outperform on ESG
New ratings from ASI’s 2020 ESG survey found the majority of European GPs scored highly

25 March 2021
Domicile watch: March 2021
Key takeaways from the major PE domiciles: including Jersey's changes to its AML/CFT handbooks, Guernsey's review of its Green Fund accreditation and Ireland's Green Team network launch

25 March 2021
Comment: An opportunity to fly ahead of the curve
Mikaela Murekian, director and head of ESG at Greenbrook, asks if a new approach to air travel could help GPs in their response to increased ESG pressure from LPs

24 March 2021
Advisory / Consultancy: ESG award winner: Sancroft International Limited
Senior consultant Ivaylo Dimov discusses the importance of knowing what ESG means to a firm and equally what it doesn’t or shouldn’t mean

23 March 2021
Verdane hires sustainability lead
Axel Elmqvist is responsible for fully integrating and strengthening sustainability as a core value creator across Verdane

23 March 2021
Valutico explores ESG valuations
Valutico has received a €200,000 innovation grant from the Vienna Business Agency to support the project

22 March 2021
Advent achieves top rank D&I score
The firm is closely followed by EQT (65%) as well as TowerBrook Capital Partners and Investcorp (both 63%)

22 March 2021
Protecting and enhancing value: Managing human rights risks across your portfolio
Sam Eastwood, James Ford, and Libby Reynolds of Mayer Brown predict greater focus on human rights due diligence processes

18 March 2021
ASI hires ESG manager
Manuela Fumarola is responsible for developing, embedding and overseeing an ESG strategy for private markets investments at Aberdeen Standard Investments

10 March 2021
SFDR comes into effect
SFDR imposes new transparency obligations and periodic reporting requirements on financial market participants

10 March 2021
Palatine invests in Anthesis
The fresh capital will support Anthesis’ growth plans, both organic and acquisitive, as well as accelerating its digitalisation

4 March 2021
Deeper Perspective: The UK Funds Regime
Benjamin Lamping, founder of Reframe Capital asks: Are we at risk of missing a potential watershed moment for the UK funds industry, and a genuine post-Brexit opportunity?

25 February 2021
Profile: Alexis Crusey, Aberdeen Standard Investments
The director of private markets product strategy, impact & ESG discusses the differences between ESG and impact investing, the importance of D&I as well as how its portfolio risk platform PRISM considers ESG factors

11 February 2021
5 minutes with… Guy Battle, Social Value Portal
As ESG’s visibility continues to increase, finding ways to measure and report efforts remains tricky. Social Value Portal’s CEO Guy Battle explains how their framework attributes monetary values to social impact

11 February 2021
Profile: Jasi Halai, 3i
The group financial controller & operating officer discusses working within the finance dept of a listed firm, leading system implementations and transformations as well as her role in the firm's committees

4 February 2021
eFront integrates RepRisk ESG data
RepRisk’s dataset enables eFront clients to proactively identify ESG risk exposure in private investments

4 February 2021
Third of GPs prioritising returns over ESG
According to the latest figures from EY, while 68% of GP respondents take ESG seriously when it comes to investment decisions, a large minority - 32% - said returns are more important

27 January 2021
Domicile watch: January 2021
Key takeaways from the major PE domiciles: including Jersey's new definition for AML legislation, changes to Guernsey's private fund regime and Ireland's prep for SFDR

21 January 2021
Private Equity Service Provider Awards: Winners announced
Winners of the Private Equity Service Provider Awards revealed

20 January 2021
ACA launches ESG advisory practice
Dan Mistler and Crista DesRochers will head up the new division, while Dani Williams joins the team to focus on ESG in financial regulation

18 January 2021
Apex launches tool for ESG regs
Invest Check is a tool to help financial services firms collect data to report and comply with upcoming ESG rules

15 January 2021
Palatine promotes Wall to ESG director
As part of her new role, Stephanie Wall joins the firm's senior management team

11 January 2021
The ESG tech wave
From static and infrequent DDQs to real-time, performance linked, fully integrated improvements; ESG is fast-becoming a tech play

8 January 2021
LPs want better ESG reporting
LPs are seeking more granular detail when it comes to ESG reporting, according to Intertrust Group

7 January 2021
Flexstone names head of ESG
Caroline Gibert will lead Flexstone’s ESG approach at both firm and investment level

5 January 2021
BWAM gains PE sponsors
Blackstone, CD&R, Goodwin, Latham & Watkins and Livingbridge join as institutional members and sponsors

22 December 2020
2020 in review: D&I firmly on the agenda
A look back at our diversity & inclusion highlights in PE during 2020

16 December 2020
LISTEN: InCloudCounsel’s Pospisil on the future
Troy Pospisil explores how the regulatory landscape for private capital funds is evolving, how investor demands are changing and how InCloudCounsel’s offerings aim to support these developments

16 December 2020
Cathay Capital appoints chief impact officer
Matthieu van der Elst joins from Michelin Ventures, the venture arm of the Michelin Group, which he founded in 2015

14 December 2020
Class of 2020
A cross-section of industry practitioners share their greatest lessons of this year

9 December 2020
LISTEN: InCloudCounsel’s Pospisil on document abstraction
Alice Murray talks to Troy Pospisil, founder and CEO of InCloudCounsel about what it is, how it works and how it supports private equity legal teams, as well as the wider organization.

8 December 2020
2020 in review: Regulatory complexity
A look back at the regulatory transformation around the AIFMD in the private equity market in 2020

7 December 2020
ILPA launches diversity initiative
Following the launch of its ‘Diversity in Action’ initiative, ILPA has announced the founding signatories; 46 GPs and LPs.

7 December 2020
NAVs won’t return to pre-pandemic levels until 2022
80% of Duff & Phelps survey respondents believe up to 30% of private market investments won’t recover their pre-pandemic values until 2022 or beyond

2 December 2020
LISTEN: InCloudCounsel’s Pospisil on private equity roots
In the first instalment of our mini podcast series, Alice Murray talks to Troy Pospisil, founder and CEO of InCloudCounsel about the company’s origins: what drove him to set up the firm and how it has developed over the past seven years.

23 November 2020
Comment: Stepping back (rather than looking back)
Nicola Morgan of The North Star Partnership urges leaders to take a step back and consider the potential opportunities of re-invention and innovation brought about by the pandemic

18 November 2020
City Hive launches D&I kitemark
It enables investment managers to address, assess and catalyse an improvement in the culture within their own organisation, as well as the wider industry, and their portfolios

18 November 2020
Apex partners with RepRisk
The partnership enables Apex’s clients to access RepRisk analytics reports and case data on private companies via Apex’s ESG rating and advisory portal

17 November 2020
PE ESG reports “too superficial”
Brackendale’s latest survey found LPs are dissatisfied with PE ESG reports because they lack detail, are too vague and provide superficial statements on intent

13 November 2020
UNPRI updates investor reporting framework
The new framework aims to create a shorter, more consistent structure, with more flexible and meaningful reporting outputs

13 November 2020
PE’s response to systematic risks: room for improvement
Analysis of 100 PE firms found lacklustre responses to the triple crises of Covid, climate change and racial injustice

12 November 2020
Culture shock: ESG, compliance and LPs
We caught up with representatives from PE houses across Europe to find out how ESG, compliance and investors have impacted culture

5 November 2020
Profile: Shami Nissan, Actis
The head of responsible investment discusses how the firm ensures its investment strategy is carried out to high standards, ESG regulations entering the market next year and challenges around investing in emerging markets

2 November 2020
Comment: Preparing for the second wave
Dörte Hoppner, COO of Riverside Europe, highlights the importance of people and talent management as we face more months of uncertainty

26 October 2020
BWAM calls on industry to dismantle racial inequities
BWAM's open letter to investment firms calls on them to commit to action, activism, and accountability to dismantle the racial inequities plaguing society

26 October 2020
Comment: The ‘new office politics’
IC Intelligence chief strategist Dr Desné Masie, says the worst isn't over for real estate funds

19 October 2020
UN launches SDG impact standards for PE
The standards are voluntary and freely available for use as best practice standards and a self-assessment tool

19 October 2020
Comment: Can public subsidy and private equity co-exist?
Covid-19 has thrown the industry into an unwanted spotlight - and now the taxman cometh

15 October 2020
Human traffic
We caught up with PER about the latest hiring trends and return to office activity across the UK and Germany

13 October 2020
WATCH: No place like home: finding the right fund domicile
Predictability, reliability and quality are key components, according to our expert panel

12 October 2020
Ethical investor network Virtuvest launches
It aims to further the importance and understanding of sustainable investment management via events, weekly newsletters and rounDtables

8 October 2020
Profile: Kim-Andrée Potvin, Bamboo Capital Partners
The partner & head of operations discusses her path from traditional finance to impact investing, overcoming Covid-19 frustrations, and why impact can no longer be niche

5 October 2020
Investcorp names ESG lead
Habib Abdur-Rahman is responsible for overseeing the accelerated adoption of a standardised ESG framework

1 October 2020
Private equity’s return to work
Taylor Wessing partners Emma Danks and Helen Farr outline the key litigation risks of returning to the office

28 September 2020
Ocorian acquires Newgate Compliance
The deal furthers Ocorian's service offering to asset managers operating in the regulated UK market.

24 September 2020
Comment: Culture drives results
Riverside COO Dörte Höppner believes culture is intrinsic to performance, and now is the time to talk about it

24 September 2020
Hamilton Lane names Yett as ESG & sustainability director
He will focus on expanding and leading the firm’s ESG integration strategy