This year’s top 10 stories included a peek into AustralianSuper’s international equities build out in London, AMP’s move to slash employee benefits, and plenty of hard-hitting analysis of the issues that matter in institutional investment. But the real story is how readers helped shape all of that coverage.
Orbis’ Stuart Place is riding from Melbourne to the Moon and Back to fund a treatment for the “monster of a disease” that his youngest son was born with. The investment industry is rallying behind him.
State Street appoints former asset owners lead to head sustainability
State Street Corporation executive vice president Jessica Donohue has stepped in to oversee the asset servicing and fund management firm’s sustainability efforts, succeeding Rick Lacaille, who announced his retirement as head of global investment insights, sustainability and impact earlier this year.
Donohue, who most recently headed State Street’s asset owner segment, has a 20-year pedigree with the group and has held senior roles including leading investor behaviour research at its academia partnership, State Street Associates, which she also later led.
With a focus on delivering sustainability insights to clients and the industry, Donohue in her new role will oversee efforts throughout the broader State Street Group and its investment services division to “bring together investment insights and solutions to deepen relationships”, particularly with clients’ chief investment officers, the company said in a statement announcing the appointment. She will report to Lou Maiuri, State Street’s global COO and head of investment services.
“Being a strategic and trusted partner to our clients to meet their complex and changing needs requires us to continue to evolve our investment-related thought leadership and solutions,” Maiuri said. “Jessica’s background in research and investment-related insights, coupled with her deep understanding of clients’ unique challenges and the market overall, is precisely what our clients need as we continue to deliver as their essential partner.”
Donohue’s resume at State Street also includes her time heading performance and analytics for Investment Services, as well as serving as chief innovation officer and head of advisory and information solutions for Global Exchange, now known as Alpha, State Street’s administration platform.
Donohue also sports an academic background, with several past teaching stints at Brandeis University and the University of Minnesota, and is a champion of State Street’s inclusion, diversity and equity program, the company said. In addition, she serves as co-executive sponsor of its Disability Awareness Alliance.
