Sustainability risk and Net-zero considerations for risk and asset managers

Speakers:

Lisa Elcher

Lisa Eichler co-heads Climate & ESG Solutions at Ortec Finance, dedicating her efforts to mainstreaming climate change across the investment decision process by integrating responsible investment data and methodologies into mainstream financial technology and solutions. A particular priority is to innovate on applying advanced modelling and scientific data to integrate quantified risks associated with climate change into standard forward-looking financial scenario sets that drive strategic investment decision-making. Lisa has focused her studies and career on facilitating the interactions between science and policy providing analysis and advice on topics relevant for the transition towards a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy. Lisa has sound expertise on the topics of climate change (adaptation and mitigation), disaster risk/resilience and biodiversity/natural capital. Prior to joining Ortec Finance, Lisa has worked as a consultant for various companies implementing projects for European institutions, national governments and international organizations, on environment and sustainability issues involving a combination of complex scientific research, economic/financial assessment tools, as well as delivering a clear message to policy/decision-makers. Due to her multi- disciplinary background working at the science-policy interface, Lisa often takes the role of bringing together and ‘translating’ across the various actors involved in tackling the climate change challenge. Lisa earned her Master of Science in Environmental Management and Masters of Arts in Global Public Policy at Duke University, USA. 

Russ Bowdrey

Russ Bowdrey is a UK-qualified actuary and leads the client service team in Ortec Finance’s Climate and ESG Solution team. His focus is helping clients to interpret the potential climate risks and opportunities impacting on their portfolios and making sense of concrete actions.

Prior to joining Ortec, Russ helped lead the development of Aviva’s first TCFD report in and as part of the Group ALM team helped drive the integration of learnings from the climate modelling into the wider business.

Russ is a member of the IFoA’s Sustainability Board and assists with the research portfolio

Chair:

Russ Gill

Russell is a qualified actuary with over 15 years’ experience driving risk management excellence across the banking and pensions industries. He enjoys bringing insights and clarity to complex situations and believes this is particularly vital for meaningful progress to be made with the climate risk agenda.

Russell has held a number of risk leadership roles at Nationwide Building Society and Santander – including heading up the market risk, pension risk/finance, product risk and capital modelling teams. 

More recently, Russell has enjoyed working with challenger banks, including as Chief Risk Officer for Perenna (who secured their banking license in August 2022). He is currently Head of Prudential Risk at Monument Bank, he chairs the IFoA’s Chief Risk Officer’s Group, and he’s a member of the IFoA’s Risk Management Board.