Credit Suisse Builds Out ESG Strategy Team with Series of New Hires – ESG Today

Credit Suisse announced today a significant expansion to its ESG strategy team, with five new hires who will join the bank’s Sustainability Strategy, Advisory and Finance (SSAF) function in Zurich. Credit Suisse stated that the five will join the team of specialists responsible for the development and oversight of the bank’s ESG Investment Framework, and who have built the ESG Hub which acts as the bank’s center of expertise.

The new hires will also be responsible for advancing and consolidating Credit Suisse’s ESG practices and procedures, supporting an integrated ESG house view by industry sector, providing opinions on single securities, performing sector sustainability analyses, and facilitating fundamental integration of relevant sustainability insights in research outcomes and investment cases, according to the bank.

Four of the new ESG specialists, Michael van der Meer, Angela Saxby, Sina Dorner-Müller and Timothy Oehmigen, are joining Credit Suisse from international asset manager Robeco, and Karim Sayyad will join from Nordea. Van der Meer, who served as Head of Sustainable Investment Research at Robeco, will act as Head of ESG Analysis and will lead the ESG strategy team.

Daniel Wild, Global Head of ESG Strategy at Credit Suisse, said:

“I am delighted to welcome such a well-respected, talented and experienced group of individuals to our team. As ESG continues to grow in significance in our industry and across the world, Michael, Angela, Sina, Timothy and Karim will help to offer our clients a further enhanced sustainability service and position Credit Suisse as a leader in the area of ESG policy, analysis and expertise.”

Marisa Drew, Chief Sustainability Officer and Global Head of SSAF at Credit Suisse, added:

“These appointments are a key step in augmenting our ESG expertise and expanding our sustainability offering for clients. This investment in our ESG center of knowledge will help us to scale our activities across the bank, ultimately furthering our ambition to be a sustainability leader.”

Today’s hires follows the announcement in July 2020 by Credit Suisse of significant structural changes by the company in its investment banking and wealth management businesses, with enhancements and commitments in sustainability as a core element. The initiatives included the creation of a new sustainability-focused business function, a new board position, and material changes in the firm’s wealth management and financing activities, as well as commitments to substantial restrictions in financing of coal-related businesses, reduced exposure to traditional oil and gas businesses, and to supporting clients in energy transition efforts.