SWITZERLAND --SAM Group, a Swiss asset manager specialising in sustainable investing, has appointed Christian Werner as its new head of research.

Werner, whose appointment is effective from 1 February, replaces Alois Flatz, who joined the consultancy Flatz and Partners in Vaduz last year.

Prior to his appointment, Werner was global research manager at Allianz Dresdner Asset Management (ADAM) in Frankfurt, which has since been renamed Allianz Global Investors (AGI). Werner, 43, was also a portfolio manager for retail and instutitional funds at ADAM.

Zurich-based SAM currently has €1.5bn in assets under management from both institutional and retail clients. Its institutional clients include banks, insurers, pension funds and foundations.

SAM is also known for its co-development of the financial world’s first sustainable indexes. These indexes include only those companies that meet sustainable criteria set by SAM.