U.S. Bank, the fifth-largest commercial bank in the United States, announced today the launch of a full-service ESG practice within its Fixed Income and Capital Markets (FICM) business, along with the hiring of Ade Adedeji as Director for ESG FICM.

According to the bank, the announcements come amidst surging demand for ESG financing, and as the bank expands efforts to deliver innovative sustainable financing solutions to clients.

Stephen Philipson, head of FICM at U.S. Bank, said:

“ESG is not only a key element of our bank’s core values, it is a foundational element of our Fixed Income and Capital Markets efforts, having led our first green bond back in 2014 and a multitude of ESG financings since then. Creating this new ESG vertical is a natural evolution of these efforts as we – and the markets – focus on increasing the positive impact we collectively have with our customers on our communities and society at large.”

The newly established ESG practice will be lead by Marcus Martin, who joined U.S. Bank last year.

Martin said:

“The ESG financing space is complex and rapidly changing, so it’s critical that we provide our clients with innovative options. We don’t deliver the standard ‘off the shelf’ ESG solutions when it comes to helping CFOs and their teams, but instead differentiate ourselves by providing each client with customized solutions for greatest impact.”

In his new role, Adedeji will be responsible for helping coordinate ESG financing efforts across all business lines at the bank. He joins U.S. Bank from BNP Paribas, where he served as a Director. Prior to BNP Paribas, he worked as Vice President, Leveraged Capital Markets at RBS, and has also held leveraged finance roles at banks including Barclays and Credit Suisse.

Adedeji said:

“The bank’s demonstrated national leadership in lending with environmental and social impact helped draw me in. But what solidified my decision was the strong commitment from bank leaders to continue to expand the ways we can help clients with sustainable financing.”