ESG Book Names RegTech Veteran Fitzpatrick as New Chief Executive

ESG Book has named Justin Fitzpatrick, the founder and executive of several UK-based RegTech companies, as its new chief executive replacing global sustainability leader Daniel Klier.

The Germany-based data and tech company, which made headlines in 2021 when it put a large part of its ESG database on a free-to-use platform, said Fitzpatrick has “deep expertise in scaling and accelerating growth in investor-backed software companies”.

This will benefit ESG Book’s “global expansion and deliver its future success as a leader in sustainability data and technology”, said Nazo Moosa, an advisory board member at the company.

ESG Book, which was founded in 2018, operates a SaaS-based platform that delivers data on more than 200,000 corporate disclosures worldwide. It is part of the Arabesque Group, which also operates an asset management business. Its free database was launched in December 2021 backed by an alliance of institutions, including HSBC and Deutsche Bank, to help corporates, investors and standard setters with their sustainability operations.

Partnerships

Fitzpatrick joins ESG Book from FullCircl, a RegTech software provider that he co-founded and where he was chief operating officer. Before that, he co-founded and headed RegTech research firm DueDil. He is also a founder and non-executive director of UK FinTech industry group Innovate Finance.

“This is a business extremely well positioned to meet the fast-growing need for sustainability solutions across capital markets,” Fitzpatrick said, adding that he would continue to expand ESG Book’s “partnerships with financial institutions, reduce the friction for corporates in meeting ESG disclosure requirements, and deliver market-leading analytics and tools to help our clients achieve their sustainability goals.”

He replaces Klier, who has become an ESG leader following high-profile appointments as global head of sustainable finance at HSBC, where he devised the bank’s net-zero target, and as chair of the Bank of England’s Climate Working Group. He sits on the boards of the global sustainability reporting standard GRI and the international organisation Sustainable Energy for All and recently took the chief executive role at climate consultancy South Pole.

Encompass Names Neil Acworth Chief Information Security Officer

Encompass Corporation, a provider of real-time digital Know Your Customer (KYC) profiles, has appointed Neil Acworth as chief information security officer (CISO) as part of its focus on delivering gold-standard information security processes to global banks. Acworth joins Encompass with extensive experience in the technology space and will oversee the company’s information security team and drive its ongoing commitment to promoting best practices in fighting financial crime and contributing to business growth.

Stuart Barnard, vice president of finance and business operations at?Encompass, comments: “Compliance is at the heart of what we do. Hiring Neil Acworth as our CISO brings this to life, in terms of how we operate internally and externally. For banks, we know security isn’t just about ticking a box, it’s business critical, and we’re focused on being the proactive and trusted partner that our customers need.”

The appointment follows Encompass’s recent acquisitions of CoorpID and Blacksmith KYC.

REGnosys Works with WISE to Empower Women in Tech

REGnosys has joined forces with WISE, a UK specialist in STEM gender parity, as part of a project to empower women tech leaders. The collaboration aims to champion women role models in tech and inspire young women to pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). With women making up only 24% of the STEM workforce, the lack of representation remains a pressing issue in the tech industry.

REGnosys chief executive and founder, Leo Labeis, says: “As a tech start-up, it can be challenging to compete with larger firms that offer the kinds of benefits that are crucial to attracting diverse workforce talent. We have delivered on our pledge to boost women’s representation within our company, which now sits at 38%. By partnering with Wise, we will develop our long-term commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.”

Encompass Appoints Former CEO of CoorpID Job den Hamer as Head of Business Development

Encompass Corporation, a provider of real-time digital Know Your Customer (KYC) profiles that recently acquired CoorpID and Blacksmith KYC from ING, has named Job den Hamer, former CEO of CoorpID, as head of business development to bolster the company’s mission to underpin KYC with Corporate Digital Identity (CDI). With more than 20 years of experience in mid-corporate and corporate financial services markets, den Hamer has held roles across sales, business development and change management. Most recently, he conceptualised and grew CoorpID within ING’s innovation network.

Broadridge Names Mike Sleightholme as President of Broadridge International

Broadridge Financial Solutions has appointed Mike Sleightholme as president of Broadridge International. Sleightholme, who is based in London, will be responsible for delivering the company’s capital markets technology and data solutions throughout the EMEA and Asia Pacific regions.

Sleightholme first joined Broadridge in 2022 as president of its Asset Management Solutions business where he was responsible for driving growth, the strategic execution of client and market-focused solutions, and world-class service delivery. Before joining Broadridge, Sleightholme spent five years at SS&C Technologies where he served as CEO and General Manager of the DST Systems business. He previously spent over 20 years at Citigroup in London, Hong Kong and New York, where he held a variety of senior leadership positions.

Persefoni Boss Mohin Chosen to Sit on FCA’s ESG Advisory Board

Tim Mohin, chief executive of data provider Persefoni, is among the sustainability-linked financial figures selected to help shape the UK’s regulatory response to ESG issues. The former Global Reporting Initiative chief will be joined by five other executives on the Financial Conduct Authority’s ESG Advisory Board. They include Harald Walkate, senior fellow at the Center for Sustainable Finance & Private Wealth (CSP) at the University of Zurich, and will be complemented by senior FCA figures.

More Names Added to Bring ISSB Team to 10

Four more members have been added to the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), the IFRS Foundation’s recently created body that’s been tasked with hammering out an international framework for ESG reporting. They are Richard Barker, of the University of Oxford Saïd Business School’s sustainable business initiatives; Verity Chegar of California State Teachers’ Retirement System; Bing Leng, Director in the Accounting Regulatory Department of the Chinese Ministry of Finance; and, Ndidi Nnoli-Edozien, former Group Chief Sustainability and Governance Officer at Dangote Industries. The new additions bring board membership to 10, with more expected to be announced soon.

SmartSearch Appoints Former Dow Jones Executive as CEO

SmartSearch, an anti-money laundering specialist using electronic entity verification, has named Guy Harrison as CEO with responsibility to drive the company’s strategic growth plan. Harrison joins from Dow Jones, where he was general manager of the company’s risk and compliance business. He takes over the CEO role from SmartSearch CEO and founder John Dobson, who launched the business in 2011 and will remain with the company as a non-executive director.

Kay Swinburne Named as Chair of the International Regulatory Strategy Group

Dr Kay Swinburne, vice chair of financial services at KPMG UK and former vice chair of the European Parliament’s Economics and Monetary Affairs Committee, has been named chair of the International Regulatory Strategy Group (IRSG). The role was previously held by former city minister Mark Hoban.

The IRSG is focused on promoting regulation that encourages open and competitive global markets. Recent priorities have included the UK’s regulatory framework post-Brexit, ESG and a green finance taxonomy, and priorities for the G7 to be held in the UK this summer. The group is co-sponsored by TheCityUK and the City of London Corporation, and comprises senior practitioners from across the financial and related professional services industry.

Swinburne says: “I am very pleased to be taking up this role at such a crucial time for the UK as an international financial centre. With the global challenge to recover from the economic impact of the pandemic, the UK setting out its post-Brexit regulatory framework, and regulators seeking to get to grips with climate change and technological transformation, there is a plenty for us to do. Working with members of the IRSG, I am keen to set a policy agenda that enables the financial and related professional services industry to flourish while serving and supporting the wider economy.”

Both the City of London Corporation and TheCityUK welcomed Swinburne’s appointment, noting her extensive knowledge of the financial services industry and international regulation, as well as her proven track record in regulatory change. Swinburne played a pivotal role in shaping EU and global financial services legislation in her role as an MEP, including setting up EU supervisory bodies and the Capital Markets Union.

Léo Apotheker Joins Appway

Appway, a specialist in technology for workflow automation in financial services, has appointed Léo Apotheker as the first independent member of its board of directors. Apotheker was formerly CEO of German software giant SAP, and is also former CEO and President of Hewlett-Packard. He currently sits on the boards of a number of other leading technology companies, including Schneider Electric, NICE, and Syncron. In June 2020, Appway announced its first external capital raise since its founding in 2003: a $37 million minority investment from global growth equity firm Summit Partners, to support its next phase of growth.