Global forestry investment manager New Forest has announced two senior appointments as part of broader sustainable investing ambitions.
New Forests has named Jo Saleeba as head of sustainability and Lauren Stewart as head of communications, according to a statement.
Saleeba has extensive experience in sustainability with asset owners, having previously worked for Investor Group on Climate Change (IGCC) Australia and New Zealand as its inaugural chief executive and also led the responsible investment team at HESTA, one of Australia’s largest superannuation funds.
Stewart has 20 years of industry experience and was most recently principal and head of communications for BNY Mellon Investment Management Asia Pacific.
Impact & Advocacy Group
As broader plans to expand its sustainability efforts, New Forests has also formed a new Impact & Advocacy Group led by managing director Radha Kuppalli.
Saleeba and Stewart will report to Kuppalli, who first joined New Forests in 2006.
«New Forests’ vision is to see forestry as a key sector in the transition to a sustainable future,« the statement said. «The Impact & Advocacy Group will [...] ensure New Forests uses this position and its track record of impact, to advocate for policies and frameworks that will support more investment in Natural Climate Solutions and the Circular Bioeconomy.»
Ongoing Expansion
New Forests has been expanding as of late and in addition to the latest hires, the asset manager also named ex-AMP Capital CFO and COO Adrian Williams as its CFO in January as well as politician and physical commodities trading veteran Christine Loh as an independent director in May.
First incepted in 2005, New Forests has operations across Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia and the U.S.
It has a portfolio with A$6 billion ($4.5 billion) in assets under management invested in 2.4 million acres that span across sustainable forest plantations, areas of natural forest conservation, carbon projects, rural land and row-cropping, and timber processing.
