Olivia Lankester joined the international business of Federated Hermes as director of responsible investing and sustainability in its global emerging markets equities team, the asset manager said Wednesday.
She reports to lead portfolio manager Kunjal Gala and is based in London.
Ms. Lankester replaced Elena Todesco, who joined Vontobel Asset Management in June as a portfolio manager with its listed impact team.
Ms. Lankester was senior director of social impact and responsibility across EMEA and APAC at the Lego Group. She also served as a strategic adviser for Lego's sustainability strategy covering brand purpose, social impact investment, responsible sourcing, circular economy and caring employer values, and was a senior director of responsible sourcing.
Federated Hermes's stewardship team oversees $1.7 trillion in equities and fixed income assets. Ms. Lankester will further develop the team's ESG analysis, including whether portfolio companies are prepared for climate change risks and are aligned to the United Nations sustainable development goals, the firm said in a release.
Gary Greenberg, head of global emerging markets, said in the release that Ms. Lankester's role "is vital in deepening our ESG awareness and knowledge of issues across our GEM portfolio. The whole team is looking forward to working with Olivia to encourage our companies along a sustainable trajectory."
