Debapratim De (Debo) is Director, Economic Research at Deloitte. He advises clients and shapes the firm’s thinking on macroeconomics and financial markets, and also comments on economic developments in the media.

Prior to joining Deloitte, Debo was a researcher in cryptography and applied mathematics at Microsoft.

He was educated at BITS Pilani in India and at the London School of Economics.

Susie Dent, renowned English lexicographer, etymologist, and writer, has been an epitome of knowledge and communication, illuminating millions with her expertise in words. As the enduring face of Channel 4’s Countdown’s Dictionary Corner since 1992 and the show’s comedy equivalent, 8 out of 10 Cats does Countdown, Susie’s vibrant presentations have made her a popular and highly sought-after speaker on the intricacies and nuances of the English language. Through impactful speaking, Susie focuses on enhancing understanding of clear communication and influence in varied domains, being a beacon of linguistics education and application.

Susie’s devotion to words extends beyond television; she regularly contributes to discussions and debates on numerous TV and radio programs like BBC Breakfast, Newsnight, This Morning, and Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, among others, elucidating words in the news and their implications. Her enriched perspective on linguistics and its meticulous application has seen her serving as a spokesperson for the Oxford University Press and judging prominent awards like the Costa Book Awards and the Academy Excellence Awards.

As an accomplished author, Susie Dent has penned several influential books, including “Susie Dent’s Word of the Year”, “What Made the Crocodile Cry?”, and “How to Talk Like a Local”. Her writings, exploring diverse facets of language and its evolution, have also been featured in prominent publications like the Independent on Sunday, the Telegraph, and the Daily Mail. In addition, her weekly columns in the Radio Times and The Week Junior offer readers intriguing insights into word origins and language use.

Susie’s mission is to demonstrate the power and efficacy of precise language and rich communication, facilitating businesses worldwide to surmount challenges related to communication within their work environments. Through her keynote speeches, delivered to a spectrum of companies from small entities to major corporations, she emphasises the significance of words, aiding organizations in refining their communication strategies for enduring success. Susie’s sessions, interspersed with Countdown inspired games and activities, not only provide interactive learning but also accentuate her message about the importance of clear and influential communication.

In her extensive work, Susie has not only delved deep into the labyrinth of language but has also been an advocate for the enriching impact of jargon, helping audiences and companies understand its potential to enhance communication. She has been a fascinating and engaging speaker, intertwining entertaining stories drawn from her lifetime of observing language with educational insights, enabling leadership and management teams to enhance their communicative effectiveness.

Beyond her professional achievements, Susie holds the honorable title of Vice-President of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) and has actively contributed to the community through her active participation in charities and boards, upholding the integrity and evolution of the English language.

In conclusion, Susie Dent, with her unrivaled passion for words and profound belief in the transformative power of communication, continues to inspire and educate, making the labyrinthine world of words accessible and fascinating for all. Her unique ability to weave educational narratives with humor and her dedication to promoting clear and precise communication make her a distinguished figure in the world of linguistics.

Sara joined The Shareholder Commons in 2020 after 22 years working in sustainable investing and environmental and social advocacy. Sara began her career working for NGOs in the international development and disaster response fields. In 2001, she transitioned into Sustainable and Responsible Investment (SRI) research for the Investor Responsibility Research Center (IRRC), where she specialized in bioengineering and defense contracting research. After leaving IRRC, Sara spent several years at The Cadmus Group, an environmental consultancy. In 2005, Sara moved to Frankfurt, Germany to work as a senior sustainability analyst for Fortis Investments’ SRI fund management team. Fortis Investments was acquired by BNP Paribas Asset Management during Sara’s tenure. Sara moved back to Washington, DC in 2011, where she launched her independent consultancy on sustainable investing and corporate responsibility.

Steven is a leader in the sphere of collective redress, and one of the most well-established litigation finance professionals in the international market. He is particularly expert in helping large groups of shareholders, bondholders and other stakeholders to collaborate in the face of catastrophic breakdowns in corporate governance at publicly listed companies.

He has been the driving force behind Woodsford’s evolution from a traditional litigation funder into a leading global collective redress business in the UK, Australia, continental Europe, Japan and Canada. 

With more than a decade in the industry, Steven has consistently been recognised by Chambers & Partners, Lexology Index, Lawdragon and Legal 500 as a leading figure in litigation finance. Before joining Woodsford, he was a partner at the London offices of Brown Rudnick and DAC Beachcroft, and previously practised at Debevoise & Plimpton in London and New York.

Steven is the author of The Law and Business of Litigation Finance (now on its Second Edition), the leading treatise on the international development of the law and practice of high value litigation and arbitration funding. He is also a member of the ICGN (International Corporate Governance Network) Global Policy Committee.

Jane has almost two decades of experience working in Brussels as an EU public affairs and advocacy specialist. For the last thirteen years, she has specialized in advocacy relating to the financial sector, with particular expertise in the areas of corporate governance and sustainable finance.

In her current role as Partner and Head of Sustainability at FleishmanHillard, she advises both financial and non-financial corporates on how to effectively engage with the EU policy-making process, across political, policy and reputational issues.

She joined FleishmanHillard in 2012, having previously worked in communications for a European-based financial services association, where she was responsible for external communications including press and media relations and event organisation. Jane holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Frech and Italian from the University of Exeter.  

Shipra brings with her over two decades of global work experience spanning Financial Services, Management Consulting, Healthcare, Consumer Goods and Social Enterprise. Of these, she has spent the last 13 years working in Sustainable Finance.

In her current role as the Investments Stewardship Lead at Scottish Widows, she influences the investment value chain to integrate environmental, social and governance factors, with a ‘double materiality’ lens, through engagement with policy makers, regulators, investment managers, investee companies, civil society and peer organisations.

Living in London with her family, Shipra also gives her time as a Trustee to The Conservation Volunteers, a charity that connects people with nature and as a NED at the Soil Association. She has also been on the Board of Trustees at ShareAction, a responsible investment non-profit and chaired the Board of her local school.

Olga is Head of Responsible Investment at the Church Commissioners for England where she leads on responsible investment strategy and implementation across the portfolio. Olga co-founded and Co-Chairs the Indonesia Investor Policy Dialogue on Deforestation and also sits on the ICGN Global Policy Committee. Before joining the Church Commissioners, Olga spent fifteen years working in environmental and human rights law.

Aaron joined ICG’s Sustainability team in 2025, and leads sustainability integration, due diligence and engagement activity in direct lending, liquid credit, and private equity GP secondaries strategies.

Prior to this, Aaron led sustainable investing in private credit at Fidelity International, including sustainable fund development, due diligence and post-investment stewardship in direct lending and integration of ESG risks and opportunities in CLOs. Previously, at Federated Hermes, Aaron led strategy development and investee engagement for the sustainable fixed income platform, and led equities engagement at EOS, Federated Hermes’s stewardship service for pooled client assets.

Aaron has also served consumer goods, telecommunications, and logistics clients on sustainability strategy at Accenture Strategy and employed systems-thinking approaches in advising businesses on sustainability challenges at NGO Forum for the Future.

Aaron holds an M.Sc. in Environmental Technology at Imperial College, and an Honours B.A. in Business Administration from the Ivey School of Business at Western University, Canada.

Claire is Head of Sustainability at 17Capital where she is responsible for ESG and sustainability strategy across the firm’s investments and operations.  Prior to joining 17Capital, Claire worked at Goldman Sachs Asset Management for 15 years. She joined as an analyst in 2007 working in both London and New York in their Alternative Investments & Manager Selection (AIMS) Group. Prior to leaving Goldman Sachs, Claire led the ESG & Impact Client Strategy Group in London, where she was responsible for driving GS Asset Management’s client facing and commercial sustainability efforts in EMEA.   Claire has a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in English from the University of Leeds.  Claire is a member of the Board of Trustees for the CCMI UK, a charity focused on ocean conservation, research, and education.

Michael is the Global Head of Stewardship within the Sustainability Centre. He is working within BNPP AM since 2008.

He is in charge of the elaboration and implementation of the stewardship policy, which includes voting and engagement. He also plays a critical role in the design, development and implementation of BNPP AM’s Global Sustainability Strategy and is a key driver for the firm’s ESG research and integration, as well as SRI analysis. He is also member of the Board of Governors of the International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN).  

His wider industry activity includes being a Chair of the “Corporate Governance” committee at the French Association of Asset Managers (AFG) and Chair of the International Corporate Governance Committee at the Council of Institutional Investors (Cii).  He is also member of the “Oversight committee” of the Best Practice Principles (BPP) and member of the “Shareholder rights” committee and the “Global Network of Investor Associations ‘GNIA’ committee” at the ICGN.

He holds others membership such as the Responsible Investment committee « at the French Association of Asset Managers (AFG), and the “Grand prix jury of the general meetings” in France.

Michael previously worked as a jurist between 2006 and 2008 and was in charge of proxy voting for the Fonds de Reserve des Retraites (French back-up pension fund) in Paris.

He graduated from the University of Paris XI (France) and has a master degree of Corporate and business law (2008)

As Managing Director, Responsible Investment at the Church of England Pensions Board, Laura is responsible for leading and overseeing stewardship, responsible investment integration, and policy engagement on sustainability issues.

Her experience spans nearly two decades of work across banking, insurance and investment focused on climate, nature, human rights and governance issues. She previously served on the Steering Committee for Climate Action 100+ and led the rollout of the initiative in Australia in its inaugural phase. She currently serves on the board of the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change and chairs its corporate engagement programme.

Laura holds a Master of Studies in Sustainability Leadership from the University of Cambridge where she focused her research on mobilising institutional investment in climate finance.

Tongai Kunorubwe is director of research of Responsible Investing. He is a vice president of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price International Ltd.

Tongai’s investment experience began in 2002, and he has been with T. Rowe Price since 2022, beginning in Responsible Investing. Prior to this, Tongai was employed by Goldman Sachs Asset Management as head of Bondholder Engagement and as its environmental lead. Before that, Tongai developed a deep expertise in global credit and equity markets as an investment analyst and a portfolio manager at Goldman Sachs and Fidelity Management and Research.

Tongai earned a master’s degree in sustainability leadership from the University of Cambridge; an M.B.A. from the London Business School; and a bachelor of commerce degree, first-class honors, from the National University of Science and Technology, Zimbabwe. He also has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation. Tongai is a member of the International Capital Markets Association’s (ICMA) Executive Committee of the Principles. Separately, Tongai serves on Fannie Mae’s Affordable Housing Advisory Council and the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment Sovereign Debt Advisory Committee.

CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are registered trademarks owned by CFA Institute.

Stanley leads sustainable investment for KKR in EMEA covering ESG strategy and implementation. Prior to joining KKR, Stanley led Aviva Investors’ responsible investor strategy across its real assets business. He previously worked in the UK Parliament as a climate change specialist for the energy and climate change select committee, advising policymakers on climate legislation and science. He has also supported sustainable development programmes for the UN and Hong Kong Parliament, and has published papers on democratic representation and climate change for the UK Parliament Constitution Society.

Elena Leofanti joined Glass Lewis in 2014, initially focusing on governance and executive pay practices at European companies and playing a key role in establishing Glass Lewis’ engagement programme. Elena later led proxy research across various Continental European markets before establishing, and now leading, the Stewardship team, leveraging extensive experience in corporate engagement. 

In her current role, Elena partners with investors to advance their stewardship initiatives, with a particular focus on climate, biodiversity, human rights, and governance engagement. She also regularly contributes to Glass Lewis and industry panels and conferences, sharing insights on stewardship and emerging ESG trends.

As Chief Sustainability Officer, Richard is responsible for overseeing the implementation of CPP Investments’ sustainability strategy. He works with the Senior Management Team to ensure a global, cross-enterprise approach to sustainability-related risks and opportunities that contributes to superior long-term returns.

Before joining CPP Investments in 2019, Richard spent 18 years at Goldman Sachs, where he served most recently as the Global Head of Thematic Equity and ESG Research, and Co-Head of EMEA Equity Research. Previously, he held senior positions at Merrill Lynch, Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, and Paribas Capital Markets.

Richard is a member of the GHG Protocol Steering Committee. He is Chair Emeritus of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) Investor Advisory Group and was previously a member of the UK’s Transition Plan Taskforce (TPT) Delivery Group and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).

Richard holds a Graduado Superior/BA (Hons) in European Business Administration from ICADE in Madrid.

Anna McDonald is VP of Global ESG Strategy at PGIM, the investment management business of Prudential Financial, Inc.

Anna shapes and co-ordinates ESG strategy and execution across PGIM’s public and private asset classes and engages with key stakeholders, including clients, regulators and industry bodies. Anna has a breadth of investment experience, having begun her career in debt capital market origination with Barclays Capital, Société Générale and BNP Paribas, before moving into asset ownership with the Church of England, where she ran the Ethical Investment Advisory Group (EIAG). In 2022, she moved into asset management with PGIM. She is based in London and travels frequently to engage with PGIM’s clients around the world.  

Chirag Mehta is currently Chief Investment Officer (CIO) at Quantum Asset Management Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Quantum Advisors. He joined the Quantum group in 2006 and has over the two decades of experience specializing in equites, sustainability and alternative investment strategies.

He currently manages following funds:

• Quantum India ESG Equity Fund, a very first ever Indian ESG fund that was built on a proprietary ESG framework.
• Small Cap Equity Fund,
• Equity Fund of Funds (manager selection) and
• Multi-Asset and Gold Fund in the alternative investments space.

Chirag has been a recognized torchbearer of sustainability, leading key initiatives that advance responsible finance in Indian markets. He spearheads Quantum’s responsible investment efforts and actively engages with the government, policymakers, and industry stakeholders to deepen the reach of sustainable finance in India. As a member of a government-appointed task force, Chirag contributed to shaping the four essential pillars for sustainable finance: taxonomy, regulations, disclosures, and resilience.

He has been part of several influential platforms, including the Advisory Board of the Workforce Disclosure Initiative (a Thomson Reuters Foundation project) and the ICGN Global Policy Committee. In addition, he has contributed to various domestic and international collaborations such as the CDP India Working Group, Green Finance Leadership Initiative, Access to Nutrition Initiative, Workforce Disclosure Initiative, and has been actively involved in policy dialogues through forums organized by India SIF, CFA Institute, NSE, and other key industry bodies.

Chirag is a sought-after speaker at both domestic and international forums, where he shares insights on sustainability from an investment perspective. He is also frequently featured in the media, offering expert commentary on asset class outlooks, sustainability trends, policy matters, and asset allocation strategies.

Awards

Ranked as the 4th best performing Fund Manager in the world under the age of 40 by Citywire in 2017

Nominated for the ICGN Global Stewardship Award – July 2024

Qualifications:

CAIA (Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst)

Masters in Management Studies in Finance from Mumbai University.

Séverine joined ICGN in 2023 having spent five years at Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), where she led NBIM’s engagement with standard-setters and regulatory authorities globally. Prior to that she worked at Deutsche Bank in the Government and Regulatory Affairs Division. Holding a Master’s degree in European politics from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences and Sciences Po Paris, she also led the EU financial services practice at a public affairs firm in Brussels. A globally recognised authority on governance, stewardship, and sustainability matters, Séverine has deep expertise in policy decision-making and regulation worldwide.

Carol was named the Governance and Stewardship Policy Manager for ICGN in October 2021, in which she will support the Global Governance and Global Stewardship Committees, among other duties. She will continue her participation as a Faculty Member of the ICGN’s Education and Training programmes.

Carol is the CEO & Founder of Carlow Consulting, LLC, a business she started in January 2017 to provide consulting on corporate governance, ESG programs and reporting, federal legislative and regulatory matters. She is a licensed attorney.

Carol’s career began as an Assistant County Prosecutor and Assistant City Attorney. She served within the administrations of three Ohio governors, one as a Cabinet director and as Chair/Vice Chair on several boards and commissions. Carol was appointed to serve on the Board of Trustees for a large institutional investor, the Ohio Deferred Compensation Board, and the School Facilities Commission. She received four resolutions from Governors for excellence in public service and nominations for the Neil V. Toth Leadership Award. Carol received two Catalyst Team Awards, the Business and Professional Women’s Outstanding Woman in the Legal Profession award and the Governor’s All-Star Award for participation on the Joint Health Care Committee.

She served five years on the Council of Institutional Investors (CII) Board, including the positions of Treasurer and Chair of the Audit and Policies Committees. Carol was the co-Chair of the ICGN Shareholder Responsibilities Committee (SHREC) for three years, under which the Committee updated the Diversity on Boards and Share Lending Guidelines. She has authored several articles on governance and ESG best practices, and regularly speaks on corporate governance issues.

Carol is a cum laude graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University and the Claude W. Pettit College of Law, Ohio Northern University.

David Pitt-Watson is a pioneering thinker and practitioner in the field of responsible investment. He is a Fellow at Cambridge Judge Business School, and former Pembroke Visiting Professor.

He was co-founder, and former CEO of the Focus Funds and Equity Ownership Service at Hermes (now Federated Hermes). These ventures became a seedbed for responsible investment, strategic change, and improved corporate governance in Britain and globally. He was co-Chair of the UN Environment Programme’s Finance Initiative for the Paris climate conference. He was closely involved in the foundation of the UN’s Principles for Responsible Investment, and was a director of ICGN, establishing its business ethics committee.

In recent years he has held non-executive roles in business and charities including Senior Non-Executive at KPMG, Treasurer of Oxfam, Chair of the endowment at NESTA, and Trustee of the IPPR. His work to promote better pension arrangements in Britain, has resulted in significant improvement to the cost, transparency and structures through which pensions are provided.

He has written extensively on investment and governance including two books (co-authored with Stephen Davis and Jon Lukomnik); What They Do With Your Money, and The New Capitalists. These have been influential globally; the latter translated into five languages.

Jen is the CEO of the International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN).

Led by investors with AUM of over $US 100 trillion, ICGN aims to strengthen markets and create long term value through effective corporate governance policy and practice. Jen represents ICGN on the Japanese Financial Services Agency’s Council of Experts and on the IFIAR stakeholder working group and the PCAOB IAG.

Jen joined ICGN from Goldman Sachs Asset Management, where she was EMEA Head of Stewardship, driving engagement, proxy voting and industry collaboration efforts. In that role, Jen was a member of the Investment Association Company Reporting and Auditing Group and the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) Investor Advisory Committee. In 2022 Jen was also a member of the US Council of Institutional Investors Corporate Governance Advisory Council.

Previously, Jen was Deputy Director of Stakeholder Engagement and Corporate Affairs at the UK Financial Reporting Council, responsible for coordinating outreach with the global investment community, listed company leadership teams and board members across all areas of the regulator’s scope. Jen led policy outreach on ESG, audit and reporting matters including the creation of the 2020 UK Stewardship Code and the 2018 UK Corporate Governance Code.

Jen started her career at PwC.

Jen holds a BA in Business, Accounting and Finance from the University of Newcastle and a Masters in Sustainability Leadership from the University of Cambridge.

Alyson leads the firm’s global stewardship and engagement programs which includes strategy and oversight of the company’s participation in collaborative engagements, firmwide thematic engagement programs, and investment stewardship activities with issuers and other market players. She’s also leads the sustainable investment teams in the EMEA and APAC regions that support investment teams and sustainability thematic products, client relationships, external engagement in sustainability initiatives and more. Alyson was previously head of sustainable investment in Canadian public markets for the firm and brings extensive experience through her work as a senior executive at leading sustainability consultancies and international organizations in Europe and Asia over the past twenty years. She has specialist knowledge in sustainability reporting and is a member of the Canadian Sustainability Standards Board.

Education: BA (Hons) Geography and Environmental Studies, McGill University; MA Resource Management and Environmental Science, University of British Columbia

Sawan Wadhwa joined Evenlode in 2017 and is the Head of Stewardship. He is responsible for providing ongoing analyses of companies from an ESG perspective and managing Evenlode’s voting and engagement activity. He also oversees Evenlode’s philanthropic endeavours, managing the firm’s charity portfolio. The portfolio looks to work with charities that look to address global problems in themes such as the climate, nature, poverty and inequality. His previous roles have been working for Computershare in Adelaide, Australia, as a Governance Analyst at Schroders and a Proxy Voting Analyst at Hermes EOS. Sawan graduated from Flinders University with a Bachelor of Commerce specialising in Finance and is qualified from the Governance Institute of Australia in Governance and Risk Management. He has completed the Climate-related Financial Risk Course from Oxford University.