BNP Paribas Asset Management has appointed a new head of Stewardship for the Americas region, from a New York-based impact investment fund house.
Adam Kanzer joins from New York-based boutique Domini Impact Investments where he was managing director of Corporate Engagement. Kanzer worked for the company for 20 years, where he built a comprehensive engagement programme with US companies.
At BNP Paribas, he will report to the company’s global head of Sustainability Research and Policy, Helena Viñes Fiestas, in a newly created role, working on corporate governance and engagement and liaising with policymakers.
Kanzer’s hire comes as fund firms continue to beef up their expertise in sustainable investment analysis and corporate engagement. Eaton Vance, Axa Investment Managers, BMO, Quaero Capital and Nikko Asset Management are among the many companies to have made additions to their ESG teams in recent months.
Jane Ambachtsheer, global head of Sustainability at BNP Paribas Asset Management, said Kanzer was “widely recognised” as an industry leader in the US and acknowledged his prior work on climate change, labour standards human rights and supply chain management.
“He has been an active member of a wide variety of ESG networks and organisations, and has been instrumental in helping companies to evolve their corporate practices in key areas,” she said in a statement.
“His expertise will be invaluable as we expand our sustainable capabilities globally and reinforce our commitment to ESG, and we are very pleased to welcome him to BNP Paribas Asset Management.”
Kanzer started his career as a Litigation Associate at New York law firm Cahill, Gordon & Reindel, and has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania and a Doctoral degree in Law from Columbia Law School.
