Sandra Carlisle is the new head of responsible investment at USS Investment Management Limited, the principal investment manager and adviser to the £75.5bn (€87bn) Universities Superannuation Scheme.

Carlisle brings more than 20 years of experience in sustainable and responsible investment, most recently at Jupiter Asset Management, where she was head of sustainability.

Before this she spent several years as the responsible investment head at leading investment managers, including HSBC Asset Management and Newton Investment Management. She spent a decade at Citigroup in various senior global capital markets and banking roles and served as a PRI board member from 2016-2018.

Announcing Carlisle’s appointment, USS said it would “bolster our growing ambitions in responsible investment”.

“I’m delighted that we’ve been able to appoint someone of Sandra’s calibre,” said Simon Pilcher, USSIM chief executive officer.

”As a universal owner, USS will be impacted by large systemic risks presented by issues such as climate change and loss of biodiversity, and we need to engage with business, governments, and regulators to minimise the financial impact these might have on our investments. Sandra’s work in this area will form a vital part of how we operate,” he said.

Carlisle added: “I’m thrilled to be joining USS at such a pivotal time. I look forward to working with the entire team as we seek to further develop USS as a leader in this critically important area and seize the opportunities that will arise in the fast-changing global investment landscape.”

Sandra will join USSIM from 2 January 2024, sitting on the USSIM executive committee and reporting directly to the CEO. She takes over from David Russell, who left USS in June 2023.

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