Simon Doyle

Schroders Australia (SIMAL) has appointed Simon Doyle as chief executive officer, alongside his ongoing role of chief investment officer, a position he has held since February 2022.

This is part of an important and future-focused evolution of the Australian business, reinforcing Schroders’ commitment to being investment-first and insight-led. Schroders recognises the critical importance and value of our investment proposition to clients and the need to tailor our capabilities to help solve their specific needs.

Simon succeeds Sam Hallinan who has led the Australian business since April 2021 through a period of significant industry change and societal disruption. We are grateful for the contribution Sam made to Schroders during this period and he leaves with our best wishes.

Simon is a deeply experienced investor with over 20 years of experience at Schroders alone, having joined the business in 2003. During his tenure Simon has successfully developed and managed our Fixed Income, Multi-Asset, and Private Debt teams. Simon will continue in his investment role as CIO alongside a deeply experienced team of investment professionals who lead our locally-manufactured capabilities, including Australian equities under Martin Conlon and Andrew Fleming, fixed income under Stuart Dear and Kellie Wood and private debt under Nicole Kidd.

In addition, we are announcing the promotion of Sebastian Mullins to the role of head of multi-asset. Sebastian has served as deputy head of multi-asset since February 2022, having joined Schroders in 2019. He has 12 years of multi-asset investing and will lead a team of deeply experienced investment professionals. Over time we expect to recruit additional talent into the multi-asset team.

Commenting on Simon’s appointment, Chris Durack, head of Schroders Asia Pacific, said, “Simon’s new dual CEO and CIO role reflects our ongoing commitment to helping solve for our clients by being an investment-first and insight-led business in Australia, and allows for further direct engagement on investment solutions with our clients, the needs of whom are becoming increasingly complex. Simon is highly regarded internally both locally and globally across the Schroders business and is well-known within the market and amongst our clients.”

Peter Harrison, global chief executive officer for Schroders, said: “These leadership changes signify our unwavering commitment to providing exceptional investment solutions tailored to our clients’ specific needs. Under Simon’s leadership, and with an investment-led approach supported by our locally-based investment teams, we are confident in our ability to continue delivering outstanding results for our clients.”

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Amanda Irving

Schroders has announced senior leadership appointments in its Asia Pacific business as the Group continues to deliver on its ambitious growth strategy across Asia Pacific.

After more than 17 years with Schroders, Susan Soh, CEO of Schroders Asia Pacific, will retire from the firm at the end of this year. Susan leaves with a long track record of success in the key roles she has held, including a very strong period of business growth as CEO of Schroders Singapore and South-East Asia. Susan is a recognised leader in the industry, holding a number of public positions including Chairman of the Investment Management Association of Singapore (IMAS). She is also a Distinguished Fellow of the Institute of Banking & Finance (IBF). Susan will remain in a part-time Senior Advisor role at Schroders.

Succeeding Susan in the role as CEO of Schroders Asia Pacific is Chris Durack, who re-joins Schroders. Chris previously spent 10 years at Schroders in various leadership roles including CEO of Schroders Hong Kong, CEO of Schroders Australia and most recently, as Co-Head of Asia Pacific. Chris will assume the role from January 2023 and will be based in Singapore.

After four years driving growth in the Hong Kong business and contributing to the APAC Distribution initiatives, Amy Cho, CEO of Schroders Hong Kong and Deputy Head of Asia Pacific, has decided to pursue her aspirations and personal interests outside the company. Amy will transition her responsibilities from early January 2023.

Gopi Mirchandani, currently CEO and Head of Client Group Asia at NN Investment Partners (NNIP), will join Schroders and will be appointed as CEO of Schroders Hong Kong, reporting to Chris Durack and based in Hong Kong, with effect from mid-January 2023. Additionally, Gopi will take on the newly created role of Head of Strategy, Asia Pacific, where she will work with the leadership team to identify new business opportunities and partnerships to accelerate growth across the region. A lawyer by training, Gopi held senior legal and compliance roles in Monetary Authority of Singapore, Deutsche Asset Management and Fullerton Fund Management prior to taking on broader business roles.

Szu Yi Chin was appointed to a newly created role of Head of Distribution, Asia Pacific on 1 October 2022. Based in Singapore, she will work closely with our distribution, product and marketing teams in the region to drive the sales agenda and help fulfil our ambition to be our clients’ trusted advisor. Szu Yi was previously with Schroders for 12 years where she was responsible for the Mutual Funds business in Singapore and Malaysia. She spent the past eight years with Fidelity International where her last position was Chair and Head of Taiwan.

Amanda Irving, currently Head of Marketing for Australia, has been appointed Head of Marketing, APAC, with effect from 1 November 2022. Currently based in Sydney, Amanda will relocate to Singapore in January 2023. She replaces Michelle Han who has moved to London to take up the role of Global Head of Growth and Digital Marketing. Amanda has 20 years of financial services marketing experience and was Marketing Director at BT Financial Group prior to joining Schroders.

Peter Harrison, Group Chief Executive, Schroders, commented: “The Asia Pacific region is a key part of Schroders’ growth strategy, and we are proud to have a line-up of strong senior leaders in the region to sustain our business momentum. We have been fortunate to have a leader of Susan Soh’s calibre for the past 17 years, and whilst Susan will remain as a Senior Advisor to our business, we wish her well in her retirement from executive responsibilities. I am pleased to welcome Chris Durack back to the Schroders family. With a decade long tenure at Schroders and a wealth of industry knowledge, Chris is ideally placed to lead the Asia Pacific region and ensure the ongoing success of our business.”

Lieven Debruyne, Global Head of Distribution, Schroders, commented: “With the appointment of Chris Durack and the strength of his leadership team in the Asia Pacific region, I am confident we will continue to deliver leading global and local investment solutions to our clients across the region. To help drive our strategy forward, Schroders warmly welcomes Gopi Mirchandani and Szu Yi Chin to our business and Amanda Irving to Singapore. We thank Amy Cho for leading a successful business in Hong Kong over the last four years, amidst the incredibly challenging environment and market conditions, and broader contributions to the region in her Deputy Head role. We wish her the best in her new pursuits.”

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Peter Harrison

Schroders and Conservation International are announcing a ground-breaking partnership to accelerate investment in natural climate solutions in South East Asia. The collaboration has established Akaria Natural Capital as one of the first dedicated natural capital impact investment managers in Singapore.

Schroders’ clients are increasingly focused on maximising impact while also benefiting from robust returns. Impact investing is now viewed among the key pillars of sustainable investing, alongside integration and positive screening, Schroders’ Institutional Investor Study 2022 has found.^[1]

Akaria Natural Capital will initially deploy capital towards a range of 15 to 20 high quality natural climate solutions projects across South East Asia over the first five years. It plans to manage a series of funds that invest in natural capital solutions projects in the region and will apply for a fund management licence from the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

The goal of these projects will be to deliver both long term returns and positive environmental benefits. They will also target positive impacts for local communities.

Nature could account for more than 30% of the climate action needed to avoid the worst effects of climate change, according to Conservation International^[2]. However, natural climate solutions currently receive less than 3% of all global climate finance.

Natural climate solutions also provide a range of additional benefits beyond carbon capture and storage, such as filtering fresh water or providing breathable air.

This partnership also aims to contribute to better understanding how to allocate capital towards nature and supporting the development of a natural capital investment market.

Akaria Natural Capital will be led by Gary Addison, as Chief Executive Officer, and Simon Chadwick, as Chief Impact Investment Officer, who both have extensive backgrounds in private equity investment and have actively participated in its creation as co-founders.

Yesterday’s announcement forms part of an important wider focus for Schroders on natural capital investment. Last year Schroders announced a strategic partnership with Natural Capital Research (NCR), along with Oxford Sciences Innovation (OSI)^[3] and in 2022 Schroders’ Australian Equities team launched a Biodiversity investment strategy, which is currently available to institutional investors in Australia.

At the UN climate summit COP26 last year, Schroders announced it had joined the Natural Capital Investment Alliance (NCIA)^[4], which aims to accelerate natural capital as a mainstream investment theme.

Schroders’ Chair, Dame Elizabeth Corley, set out Schroders’ commitment to investing in natural capital as part of an influential speaking slot at the COP26 Leaders event Action on Forests and Land-use.^[5]

Schroders became one of more than 30 leading financial institutions to commit to tackle agricultural, commodity-driven deforestation.

It has also made natural capital and biodiversity a priority for active engagement with companies as part of its award-winning Engagement Blueprint.^[6]

Peter Harrison, Group Chief Executive of Schroders, commented:  “Large scale investment is needed fast to halt and reverse nature loss. Nature-based solutions should be part of the solution to tackle climate change – and they can bring good returns. But the devil is in the detail. They must be high quality, and they must put local communities and the people who live there at the heart of any action. That’s why we’re working with Conservation International to do this right. Our ambition is high: we want to harness the power of investment to accelerate a nature positive future, by creating opportunities for impact beyond returns.”

Dr M Sanjayan, Chief Executive, Conservation International, commented:  “When we invest in the health of earth’s vital ecosystems, we not only keep planet-warming carbon in the ground, we also keep at-risk species out of harm’s way, support livelihoods and quality-of-life in rural communities, improve food, water, and resource security, and reduce the risk of disease spillover. Nature-based solutions hold exceptional promise, but it will take sustained investment to unleash that potential at scale. This initiative sends a powerful message to the financial services industry. Generating healthy returns, protecting nature, and supporting community development need not be mutually exclusive goals. We’re grateful to Schroders for their commitment to building a replicable model for others to adopt.”

Conservation International has more than three decades of technical and scientific expertise working alongside communities while raising and deploying conservation capital at scale.

Where appropriate, Schroders will seek to align its engagement expectations with those of major collaborative initiatives such as the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures, Science-Based Targets for Nature and NA100+.

It is working to build a robust picture of its impact on nature and as well as being a founding member of the Natural Capital Investment Alliance, it is a member of the Net Zero Asset Managers’ Initiative, RE100, the Terra Carta and Climate Action 100+.

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Notes:
[1] https://www.schroders.com/en/au/institutions/insights/institutional-investor-study-2022/sustainability/
[2] https://www.conservation.org/priorities/stabilizing-our-climate-by-protecting-and-restoring-nature
[3] https://www.schroders.com/en/global/media-relations/media-centre/natural-capital-research-accelerates-global-growth-strategy-with-investment-from-schroders-and-osi/
[4] https://www.schroders.com/en/global/media-relations/media-centre/schroders-joins-natural-capital-investment-alliance/
[5] https://www.schroders.com/en/global/media-relations/media-centre/elizabeth-corley-chair-designate-sets-out-schroders-natural-capital-focus-at-cop26-summit/
[6] https://www.schroders.com/en/global/media-relations/media-centre/schroders-engagement-blueprint-wins-influential-sustainability-award/

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In April 2020, Susan Soh and Chris Durack were appointed as Co-Heads of Asia Pacific. Chris has decided to leave Schroders due to a change in family health circumstances which prevents a planned relocation to Asia to continue his APAC leadership responsibilities. Chris will remain with Schroders until the end of October to ensure a smooth handover of responsibilities.

Lieven Debruyne, Global Head of Distribution, said: “Chris has driven a strong focus on client outcomes through the development of business and people strategy. We continue to see growth opportunities and progress in the APAC region. With a complete leadership team in place, Susan is well placed to assume full responsibility for the region and take the business to the next stage of growth. I would like to thank Chris for his significant contributions to the business and wish him all the best for the future.”

Peter Harrison, Schroders Group CEO, commented: “Chris leaves Schroders with a track record of success in the roles he has held over the last decade. As Co-head of Asia Pacific, his focus on collaboration and greater inclusion across the leadership teams in the region has helped to ensure cultural and strategic settings for the ongoing success of our business and our clients.”

Chris Durack said: “During my decade long tenure at Schroders, I have had the privilege of working with and learning from great colleagues and clients for which I am hugely grateful. Schroders remains extremely well positioned to capture growth opportunities and I wish the business every success for the future.”

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Georg Wunderlin

Schroders has united its specialist private assets investment capabilities under the newly launched Schroders Capital brand, created to deliver an enhanced service for its clients.

Growing Schroders’ private assets capabilities continues to be a key strategic focus for the business. This has been achieved so far through a combination of organic growth and specialist acquisitions. Schroders Capital will encompass the existing range of private equity, securitised products and asset-based finance, private debt, real estate, infrastructure, insurance-linked securities and BlueOrchard (impact investing specialist).

In light of its significant role shaping the impact investing industry over the last 20 years, BlueOrchard will maintain its independent brand identity.

Peter Harrison, Schroders Group Chief Executive, commented: “Schroders is further delivering on its growth strategy with the launch of Schroders Capital, a new brand for all our private assets businesses. It will continue to provide clients with a local approach to investing across a diversified range of private asset strategies, supported by a global perspective and the long-established Schroders business.”

Georg Wunderlin, Global Head of Schroders Capital, commented: “This unification will promote knowledge sharing and innovation across Schroders’ private assets businesses and showcase our diversified range of investment strategies for our investors.

“The launch of Schroders Capital will increase the visibility and strengthen the position of our private assets offering while also underscoring our ambitions as a leading player in private markets.”

Schroders Capital, which manages £46.1 billion as at 31 December 2020 (AUD$85 billion) of assets on behalf of its clients, provides access to investment opportunities managed by teams with a long and consistent track record of robust investment performance.

Each asset class within Schroders Capital will continue to maintain a high level of autonomy, while also benefiting from enhanced knowledge-sharing and collaboration with the other asset classes within the new brand and across the Schroders Group.

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