Solaris Investment Management ramps up ESG efforts

Boutique fund manager Solaris Investment Management has recruited another former Suncorp staffer to its team, with Lisa Domagala recruited to lift the firm's focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) investment issues.

The group said Domagala's appointment reinforces the growing importance of ESG factors, "especially to large institutional investors and superannuation funds".

Solaris managing director Denis Donohue said "the issue of whether or how to address ESG, already a vexed one for many managers, was placed on the back burner during the [global financial crisis]". But Donohue said this topic is "now re-emerging as a major consideration for institutional investors and superannuation funds, particularly those that are signatories to the UN PRI [United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment]".

Domagala will provide guidance on ESG issues to the group's analysts as well as representing the manager in areas such as UN PRI guidelines and other ESG-related reporting requirements.

Domagala has more than 20 years experience in Australian equity markets, on both the analyst and dealing side, with groups such as McIntosh Hamson Hoare Govett (now Merrill Lynch), Equinet (now IRESS) and Suncorp.

Donohue established Solaris in January 2008, having been the head of the nine-person team at Suncorp Investment Management. The majority of that team are now with Solaris. At Suncorp Domagala was head of dealing for what is now the Solaris investment team. She was also portfolio specialist for the Suncorp Investment Management Ethical Balanced Trust and other dedicated ESG portfolios, in addition to acting as chair of Suncorp's ethical committee and being involved in research on ESG issues.

After leaving Suncorp Domagala ran her own consultancy, providing research and analysis related to philanthropy and compliance to the financial services sector.