Ellerstone ESG head joins Insignia

Insignia Financial has appointed James Tayler to sit within the investment team as head of responsible investing.

In this newly created role, Tayler will report to Dan Farmer, who was last week named investment chief of the $97 billion asset manager.

His job is to identify and manage ESG risks and opportunities, maximise the effectiveness of engagement with managers and companies with a particular focus on climate change, modern slavery, and governance.

Tayler has almost 30 years of global experience in investment management with a strong focus on integrating ESG considerations into investment processes.

He joins from Ellerston Capital, where he was head of ESG.

Before that, he was head of research at Morphic Asset Management and head of investment research at Knight Vinke (Switzerland)

Incidentally, Vinke is a renowned activist investor focused on European companies, based in Zurich and London.

Earlier, Tayler ran investment research for a single-family office n Switzerland following more than ten years at Swiss Reinsurance Company initially as a UK equity portfolio manager, based in London,

Commenting on the appointment, Farmer said Tayler, will support the development of Insignia's responsible investing capabilities across the business, building on the robust framework already have in place.

"At Insignia Financial, we believe integrating ESG factors into our investment process helps to manage risks and identify opportunities for our investors. Consideration of these factors needs to be an integral aspect of any investment process. With James leading our ESG approach, we are well placed to deliver sustainable investment opportunities and outcomes for our clients," he said.