Ray Dhirani, expert in environment policy and sustainable investing, and Chris Hegarty, former ethical fund manager and experienced campaigner of ethical issues including climate change, have joined Parmenion’s Ethical Oversight Committee (EOC) this autumn, as flows into the PIM ethical solution continue to rise.
The appointments – which will double the number of external experts on the committee – come as ESG continues to be a dominating topic in investment.
Launched in 2012, the PIM ethical solution was a first-to-market proposition, at a time when ESG funds were still on the periphery of investment selection. In the subsequent years, legislation and consumer awareness has seen the market increase exponentially. Continued commitment to innovation in this area has seen the PIM ethical solution evolve over time, to meet client needs and support advisers to have informed conversations about ESG investing.
The robust and thoughtful selection of funds to include in the PIM ethical solution is supported by the EOC, which rigorously assesses fund providers. This is in addition to the annual fund due diligence by the internal PIM investment managers, to ensure ongoing delivery against the solution’s mandate.
Speaking about the appointment, Julian Parrott, Chair of the PIM EOC, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Chris and Ray to the committee, adding to our already extensive expertise and understanding of the sustainable finance landscape.
“Their fresh insight will support Parmenion as it continues to affirm its commitment to ESG investing at a time when demand is high but understanding of this complex area is still relatively low. But, with regulation coming that will impact advisers and what they need to know and convey about ethical investing, there is a real need for better information and easy-to-understand solutions.”
The new additions bring significant ESG investment experience; Ray Dhirani has headed up the sustainable finance team at WWF for nine years. Previously, he spent eight years working in the markets division of Merrill Lynch in New York. Having spent ten years as a fund manager, Chris Hegarty now focuses on international development, harnessing his understanding of the investment and financial sectors to help bring about significant positive change on issues such as climate change and corporate tax payments in developing countries.