Former McKinsey consultant Jonathan Bailey joins Neuberger Berman
New York based investment manager Neuberger Berman has appointed Jonathan Bailey, an alumnus of McKinsey & Company, as Head of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Investing. Bailey is based in New York and reports to Joseph Amato, Neuberger Berman’s President.
Jonathan Bailey joins Neuberger Berman from Focusing Capital on the Long Term (FCLT Global), an international think tank, Prior to working as a Director of Research at FCLT Global, he served as associate partner at McKinsey & Company, advising pension plans, asset managers and other finance institutions on a range of issues related to investment strategy, organisational structure and ESG integration. Previously, Bailey worked for Generation Investment Management, a London-based investment management firm with a focus on sustainability, the Office of Tony Blair, where he worked on sustainability and governance investment projects, and McKinsey & Company – he started his career at the consulting firm in 2006.
In his new role at the investment manager, which has assets under management of around $250 billion, Bailey will work with the firm’s investment teams and research departments to further incorporate ESG principles into the equities, fixed income and alternatives platforms. He will help portfolio managers consider ESG as part of their analytical approach to evaluating companies and markets, as well as chair the firm’s ESG Investment Advisory Committee.
Neuberger Berman’s commitment to ESG investing coincides with a growing interest among investors in this approach. Recent research from PwC for instance found that the private equity sector is increasingly focused on meeting ESG and SDG goals, while a broader study from EY among the investor community showed that ESG is rated increasingly important in supporting the global shift towards a more sustainable economy.
Dik van Lomwel, Head of EMEA and Latin America at Neuberger Berman said,“As a firm, we have a deep history in ESG investing, going back to our first application of ‘avoidance screens’ in the 1940s to the launch of our Socially Responsive Investment team in 1989,” said Amato. “Jonathan will enhance our capabilities even further across our investing platforms, as demand for ESG strategies rise globally.”
He added: “ESG is an important theme across our client base so I am thrilled about Jonathan’s arrival, particularly in light of his experience working with a number of sophisticated institutions in the region on this topic.”