T. Rowe Price adds responsible investing director to strengthen ESG efforts

Maria Elena Drew was named director of research, responsible investing at T. Rowe Price, said a spokeswoman for the firm.

The position is new, and Ms. Drew started Aug. 14. The role deepens the firm's research on environmental, social and governance considerations. Ms. Drew partners with Donna Anderson, head of corporate governance, and works closely with the firm's investment teams to develop and integrate an ESG framework across geographies and asset classes.

She reports to Rob Sharps, group chief investment officer and co-head of global equity.

"Environmental, social and governance factors are important in any comprehensive investment research process. We are pleased to have someone of (Ms. Drew's) caliber and experience on our team to further develop and integrate ESG considerations into our investment process," said Mr. Sharps in a news release.

T. Rowe Price Group has $927 billion in assets under management.

Ms. Drew had been an equity analyst, portfolio manager and ESG specialist at Goldman Sachs Asset Management. Spokesmen could not be reached for comment on a replacement.