AustralianSuper has signalled its intention to increase its focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, with the creation of the new role of governance manager within the investment team.
Former Goldman Sachs head of ESG research, Andrew Gray, has been recruited to the position and will start in July.
Chief investment officer Mark Delaney said the new role would enable the fund to be more pro-active in identifying and addressing critical governance issues that may impact the value of investments.
“As a long-term investor, AustralianSuper has a responsibility to assess and manage all foreseeable risk factors effectively, and ESG is considered as an investment-related risk,” Delaney said.
“We believe that companies which employ good governance practices and actively consider environmental and social issues will ultimately provide better value than companies that do not.”
