Global investment manager Franklin Templeton announced today the appointment of investing and sustainability veteran Anne Simpson for the newly created role of Global Head of Sustainability, responsible for leading the firm’s global stewardship, sustainability and ESG strategy.
Simpson joins the firm from California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS), where she most recently served as Managing Investment Director for Board Governance & Sustainability, where she led the development and execution of CalPERS’ Sustainable Investment Strategy, and as a member of CalPERS’ Investment Management Committee. Simpson also led CalPERS’ investment office diversity, equity and inclusion business initiative.
Simpson also bring deep stewardship and engagement experience to the role, having served as the inaugural Chair of leading climate action-focused investor engagement initiative Climate Action 100+ and its Asia Advisory Group, as Head of the Global Corporate Governance Forum at the World Bank, and as Executive Director of the International Corporate Governance Network.
Simpson will report to Jenny Johnson, President and CEO, Franklin Templeton. Johnson, said:
“We are confident that Anne’s expertise and leadership will take our firm-wide efforts on sustainable investing to the next level. While the strength of our organization lies with the breadth and autonomy of our specialist investment managers, we also recognize that an organization of our scale can have a major impact by working collectively on sustainability issues. We are thrilled to have Anne leading our efforts in this critically important area.”
Simpson also brings international regulatory and policy experience. She served on U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Investor Advisory Committee, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s Investor Advisory Group and the International Financial Reporting Standards Advisory Council.
Currently, she is an advisory council member for the Official Monetary Financial Institutions Forum, a board member at Ceres and serves on the Leadership Council for the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights.
Simpson, said:
“I am delighted to join Franklin Templeton, a world-renowned investment firm with a 75-year track record shaped by strong values, innovation and long-term conviction. I look forward to being part of its next phase of growth and evolution in sustainable investing. 2021 was a year in which the asset management industry reckoned with sustainability challenges and the opportunities these bring across global markets. There is new momentum in finance, driven by policymakers in leading European markets, net zero commitments from COP 26 and broad recognition of investors’ role in driving progress on sustainable investing, including important areas like diversity, equity and inclusion, to foster shared prosperity.”
