Simon operates at the intersection of economics, finance and sustainability and has extensive international experience as an economic adviser, investment analyst and sustainability consultant across finance, corporate and not for profit sectors.
Simon works with RIAA’s 240 member organisations with the goal of delivering on RIAA’s mission of promoting, advocating for, and supporting approaches to responsible investment that align capital with achieving a healthy and sustainable society, environment and economy.
Simon is active across the region and internationally in responsible investment and sustainable finance initiatives. He sits as Co-Chair of the Australian Sustainable Finance Initiative, working group member of the NZ Sustainable Finance Forum, a member of the Global Sustainable Investment Alliance, the UN backed Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) Australia Network Advisory Committee, as well as a member of the National Advisory Board on Impact Investing in New Zealand.
Arti Prasad is Senior Investment Strategist for the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation and works on the development and implementation of the Guardians’ responsible investment (RI) and corporate governance policies. Arti’s role includes integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into investments, portfolio monitoring of ESG breaches. She also leads on aspects of the Guardian’s climate strategy in particular carbon footprinting and integration of climate change risks and opportunities within the Fund’s direct private market assets. Arti had been with the Guardians for six years, went overseas for 2 and half years and returned again in 2017.
In the time away from the Guardians, Arti did a stint at the Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC), Brisbane Australia as the Head of Responsible Investment. Prior to joining the Guardians, Arti was Senior Policy Analyst at the Ministry for Environment, working on policy decisions related to business sustainability, water and climate change.
Arti has a Bachelors of Commerce Degree (Grad dip) from the University of Auckland, and Postgraduate Diploma in Economics and Finance from Massey University, New Zealand.
Delivering on our Paris and SDG obligations will require a shift in the direction of capital. This session unpacks four approaches to unlocking capital to finance the transition.
Place-based investing holds enormous potential for tackling our most entrenched social and environmental challenges. This session brings together various investors operating and collaborating at the community level to achieve societal transformation.
Agriculture and food production is a significant sector of the NZ economy, and as such, all investors will have exposure to the ESG risks within this sector, and conversely have role to play in progressing a stronger more sustainable approach to agriculture in NZ.
Regulators are increasingly stepping in to set standards and articulate expectations in relation to responsible investment. This session will hear from critical developments that all investors need to stay on top of, with an overview by the External Reporting Board (XRB) on the development of guidance being produced for climate related financial disclosures, and insights from the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) on their expectations by investors to avoid greenwashing.
NZ is the first country globally legislating for financial services firms to disclose under the TCFD. So how do we use the process and disclosures to drive better outcomes for our investments, and how can our engagement and stewardship activities be targeted to get us the information we need.
Andrew is Managing Director of Harbour and holds responsibility for Australasian Equity growth portfolios. Prior to joining Harbour Asset Management, Andrew spent 10 years with AllianceBernstein New Zealand as Senior Vice President and Portfolio Manager responsible for portfolio construction of all Australasian mandates. In that role Andrew and his team were consistently recognised by the industry for excellence in funds management. Andrew has more than 37 years’ investment management experience including roles with the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, Bank of England, AMP and with Merrill Lynch Global Asset Management (UK) as Managing Director of Global Equity Products. With Merrill Lynch, Andrew managed global equity accounts for pension funds in Japan, Sweden, Spain, Chile, England, the US, Germany and South Africa.
More information about speakerReuben was appointed CEO of the Outdoor division of the Kathmandu Group (global responsibility for Kathmandu and Oboz brands) in October 2019 following the Groups acquisition of Rip Curl. Prior to this Reuben had been the Group COO and Group CFO after joining Kathmandu in 2010 as Group Financial Controller. Before joining Kathmandu, Reuben held a range of senior financial management roles including Taylormade Adidas Golf, Meridian Energy and KPMG. Reuben has a Bachelor of Commerce, a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Canterbury and has completed the Advanced Management Programme at INSEAD.
More information about speakerMatthew Mimms is the Founder and Managing Director of The Investment Store. Matt has over 30 year's experience in financial services in both the UK and New Zealand. Immediately prior to establishing the Investment Store, Matt was head of Retail Sales and Service at BT Funds Management.
Matt has been integrally involved in the NZ investment and financial adviser industry for 20 years including a 2 year stint as Chair of the Auckland branch for the then named Financial Planners and Insurance Advisers Association. Matt is a strong advocate for responsible investing and is currently a board member of the Responsible Investment Association of Australasia (RIAA).
He has a business degree from the University of Sheffield (UK) and a Diploma in Business Studies (personal financial planning) from Massey University.