Aegon Asset Management has strengthened its 13-strong Responsible Investment Team with the promotion of Miranda Beacham and two new appointments.Beacham has been appointed Senior Responsible Investment Manager, leading Aegon Asset Management’s Edinburgh-based Responsible Investment specialists. Beacham has worked at Kames Capital, soon to become Aegon Asset Management, since 1995 and co-founded the UK responsible investment team. In her new role, Beacham will be responsible for leading the stewardship activities in the UK. She will also focus on supporting ESG research and responsible investment solutions for AAM’s equity investment platform.
Retno Kusumaningtyas has also joined the firm as a Senior Responsible Investment Associate, based in The Hague. Kusumaningtyas will work on ESG and impact research for the firm’s Fixed Income Investment Platform and will support its new ESG partnership with ABN AMRO. Kusumaningtyas joins AAM from an Amsterdam-based consultancy firm Profundo Research and Advice, where she conducted research and advised clients on topics such as responsible business and sustainable financing. She has a doctoral degree from Kyoto University, and worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre of Southeast Asian Studies of Kyoto University exploring solutions for equitable partnerships between smallholders and large companies.
Both Beacham and Kusumaningtyas will report to Brunno Maradei, Global Head of Responsible Investment.
Based in Edinburgh, Georgina Laird has also joined the business as a Sustainable Investment Analyst, reporting to Miranda Beacham. She will be responsible for monitoring and analysing ESG factors within the company’s Global Sustainable Equity strategy. Laird joins from Uniting Ethical Investors in Australia, where she was Ethics and Impact Manager. Before moving to Australia, Laird was part of Kames Capital’s ESG Research team from 2017. She has a BSc in Mathematics from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh.
Maradei says: “Miranda’s expertise has played a key role in the evolution of our responsible investment capabilities, including the development of our ethical strategies, engaging and voting on our active equity positions, driving ESG integration across investment processes and the development of our Global Sustainable Equity strategy.
“Both Retno and Georgina are experienced responsible investment specialists with wide-reaching skills and knowledge. We are delighted to have Georgina back and to welcome Retno to the Aegon Asset Management team.”
