Alternative investment manager Blackstone announced today that it has appointed Dr. Jean Rogers, Founder and Former CEO of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), as its new Global Head of ESG. Rogers will lead Blackstone’s ESG efforts, overseeing the firm’s ESG team, strategy, integration, reporting and engagement.

Jon Gray, Blackstone President and Chief Operating Officer, said:

“We are thrilled to have attracted someone of Jean’s caliber to lead our ESG efforts. Jean’s significant domain expertise will be invaluable as we work to advance diversity, decarbonization and good governance across our portfolio. ESG initiatives are integral to how we drive value for our investors and we look forward to partnering with Jean to advance these important efforts in the years ahead.”

Rogers founded SASB* in 2011, served as CEO for six years, and subsequently was Chair of the Board until 2018. SASB was established with a mission to establish industry-specific ESG disclosure standards for companies, designed to enable investors to assess the materiality of reported sustainability information, and to compare companies on these metrics on a global basis. Rogers led SASB as it developed sustainability accounting standards for 79 industries, and raised over $25 million for ESG research on materiality.

Christine Anderson, Blackstone Global Head of External Relations, said:

“Jean is a remarkable leader who will bring considerable expertise and energy to our ESG efforts. Her foundational work in ESG measurement and accountability will be hugely additive as we seek to build stronger, more resilient companies through ESG integration.”

Today’s announcement marks the continued expansion of Blackstone’s ESG talent expansion, including the recent appointment of Amisha Parekh as Global Head of ESG for Private Equity, Eric Duchon as Global Head of Real Estate ESG, and the firm’s recent creation of five new senior ESG positions across the U.S., Europe and Asia, encompassing the company’s businesses, investments, and reporting and engagements.

Rogers said:

“Blackstone’s scale, expertise, and commitment to ESG enable it to drive growth by being a force for good. Resilient companies are at the heart of resilient portfolios that can outperform in a diverse society and decarbonized economy—and this helps deliver strong returns for clients. I look forward to working with Jon, Christine and the talented Blackstone ESG team to integrate consideration of ESG factors to drive strong performance through better social and environmental outcomes.”

Rogers will join Blackstone in January 2022.

*In June 2021, SASB merged with the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) to create the Value Reporting Foundation, providing a comprehensive corporate reporting framework across the full range of enterprise value drivers and standards to drive global sustainability performance. Last week, the IFRS Foundation announced that the Value Reporting Foundation and Climate Disclosure Standards Board will be integrated into the IFRS Foundation by June 2022.