First State Investments has made two senior hires to bolster its commitment to integrating environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) across its global operations.
Will Oulton has signed on as global head of responsible investment based in London, bringing over two decades of industry experience – most recently with Mercer Investments London where he was head of responsible investment for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Pablo Berrutti will take charge of the same role for First State in the Asia-Pacific, leaving his post as head of responsible investment for Perpetual to join the Sydney-based team.
First State Investments chief executive Mark Lazberger said the company had made significant progress on the ESG front, currently placed in the top quartile for five of the six United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment.
"These appointments reflect our commitment to responsible asset management as a key tenet of our stewardship responsibilities, and an essential part of protecting and enhancing our clients' long-term investment needs," he said.
Oulton is vice president of the European Sustainable Investment and Finance Forum and a director of the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Forum, while Berrutti chairs the Investor Group on Climate Change Research Working Group and is a director of the Responsible Investment Association Australasia.
The appointments fill the space left by Amanda McClusky, who joined the First State Stewart's Asia-Pacific and Global Emerging Markets equity team in Singapore.
