Old Mutual Investment Group (OMIG) has announced the appointment of Robert Lewenson as the asset manager’s new Head of Responsible Investment (RI), effective 1 February 2022.
He will replace the current Head of Responsible Investment, Jon Duncan, who is moving to Switzerland to join a private bank in an impact investment role. A longstanding member of the OMIG RI team, Lewenson brings a wealth of experience to the role, being integral in building up a strong RI capability within the business and contributing towards driving the team’s successes over the past 8 years.
He is an admitted attorney and joined OMIG in 2014 as a legal adviser before becoming part of the RI team in 2017 as the governance and engagement manager. In 2019, Lewenson was appointed as Head of Stewardship, where he led proxy voting initiatives as well as company and market engagement for our client portfolios. In this role he has also led efforts in Steinhoff’s settlement negotiations, as well the development of our Listed Equity Stewardship capability for third party clients.
Talking about his new role, Lewenson points to the deep commitment that OMIG has shown in investing for a low carbon, resource-efficient and socially inclusive world. “I am proud to have been a part of the progress that OMIG has made in moving the responsible investment agenda forward into the future and am excited about what this future will bring as we continue to drive impact through capital allocation,” he says.
In addition to being a founder member of the CRISA committee and a member of the King Code Remuneration Committee, Lewenson also represents OMIG on various industry bodies where he has championed responsible investment and climate agendas. These bodies include the International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN) and the Stewardship Committee of the UNPRI, among others.
“Responsible Investment continues to be a core part of our business strategy. Under Rob’s leadership, our team of RI practitioners, with over 20 years collective experience, will continue to embed and advance the integration of RI across all facets of the organisation including our investment processes,” says Tebogo Naledi, MD of Old Mutual Investment Group.
“With Rob’s depth of knowledge and experience, I have full confidence that the Responsible Investment capability within OMIG will be led with great passion, dedication, and excellence as we continue to invest for a future that matters.”
ENDS