Solutionists Making Moves: January 4-11 Edition

Welcome to this week’s edition of Solutionists Making Moves. 

From established ESG professionals to rising Solutionists, we want to share their successes and celebrate the achievements of those leading the charge in bringing net-positive solutions to the world. Here’s this week’s roundup of Solutionists making waves in their respective industries.

Real estate company Prologis announced recently the appointment of Susan Uthayakumar to the newly created role of Chief Sustainability and Energy Officer. In her new position, Uthayakumar will be responsible for leading the company’s sustainability and energy solutions divsion. Along with her team, she will evaluate and scale existing and emerging solutions across Prologis, and she will also partner with their environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and governance team on strategy, progress, stakeholder engagement, and related initiatives. Uthayakumar said, “Customers today are looking for a partner who can help them achieve their sustainability goals in innovative new ways while running their businesses as effectively as possible.”

JPMorgan Chase announced recently the appointment of Ben Ratner to the position of Executive Director of Sustainability. Ratner has spent the past 10 years at the Environmental Defense Fund, most recently leading its energy transition team. In his new role, Ratner will be responsible for supporting JPMorgan Chase’s sustainability strategy and helping to further integrate sustainability into the company’s efforts to drive inclusive growth, including low-carbon technology acceleration and community climate resilience. The appointment follows a series of sustainability and sustainable finance commitments made by JPMorgan Chase over the past few years.

The International Financial Reporting Standards Foundation (IFRS) recently announced the appointment of Emmanuel Faber as the first chair of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), leading the newly established organization as it works to develop global sustainability disclosure standards. Erkki Liikanen, Chair of the IFRS Foundation Trustees, said: “Emmanuel Faber has been a long-term proponent of companies factoring sustainability matters into their strategy and in their reporting to the markets. His global leadership skills and drive make him the ideal inaugural ISSB Chair to lead the development of standards to meet investors’ demand for information about climate and other sustainability matters.”

BacTech Environmental Corporation, an environmental technology company delivering effective and planet-friendly biomining and remediation solutions, recently announced David Tingey as their new Chief Operating Officer. David will join BacTech’s executive team, working closely with CEO Ross Orr, to oversee operations development and management across the company. He will be setting and driving strategic recommendations that support shareholder interests in its Ponce Enriquez, Ecuador bioleaching project and its expanding South American growth strategy.

PGIM Real Estate has hired Julie Townsend as its ESG lead for Europe and Asia Pacific to reinforce its commitment to ESG investing. Townsend will be overseeing ESG strategies being implemented across both regions, while also furthering the companies’ pre-existing and ambitious sustainability goals. She will report directly to the global head of ESG and head of America’s asset management, Christina Hill. Hill said: “We are fortunate to have been able to attract a skilled and experienced ESG leader such as Julie, who will be a pivotal member of our growing team as we continue to accelerate our sustainability efforts in the years ahead.”