Investment manager AllianceBernstein (AB) announced that it has made two responsible investment focused hires, including Jodie Tapscott as Director of Strategy, Responsible Investing, and Amelia Sexton as ESG Product Specialist. AB stated that the new hires will drive the firm’s responsible investing strategy, positioning, and initiatives to meet a growing client demand. Tapscott and Sexton will both be based in London, and operate across AB’s global responsible investing platform.

Tapscott joins AB from Sustainalytics, where she served as Director, Client Relations & Head of Asia Pacific ex Japan. At Sustainalytics, she was responsible for leading business development, client relations, and ESG research for the region, and for advising asset owners and investment managers on responsible investment strategy and ESG solutions. Before joining Sustainalytics, she held senior ESG roles at Colonial First State, including Executive Manager, Responsible Investing & Corporate Responsibility. Tapscott will report into Michelle Dunstan, AB’s Global Head of Responsible Investing.

Prior to joining AB, Sexton worked for nearly 8 years at independent financial advisor Holden & Partners, most recently serving in the position of Investment Manager & Head of Ethical, Sustainable, and Thematic Investment. In that role, she developed and managed the firm’s ‘Ethical, Sustainable and Thematic’ (EST) investment philosophy and selection criteria, facilitating the growth of a unique range of ‘EST’ portfolios for varying risk profiles. Sexton will report into Scott Krauthamer, AB’s Global Head of Product Management and Strategy.

Michelle Dunstan, Global Head of Responsible Investing, said:

“Our aim is to put responsible investing at the heart of what we do, through ESG integration across all our strategies, our portfolios for purpose, our thought leadership and our partnership with the Columbia Earth Institute.

“We are building an ESG team that can deliver the differentiated insight and results that today’s invest need. Jodie’s outstanding industry expertise and consistent focus on implementation, along with Amelia’s depth of knowledge, will be fantastic assets and I am delighted to welcome them to the team.”