30/05/2024
The Church Commissioners for England has appointed Poppy Allonby as its new Chief Investment Officer, where she will lead the responsible investment of the Church Commissioners’ £10 billion endowment fund, which provides funding to support the ministry of the Church of England. She will assume her new position at the end of September.
Poppy Allonby is a senior financial services executive with more than 20 years of experience in strategic leadership and investment roles. She joins the Church Commissioners from T. Rowe Price, where she is currently Vice President and Head of the ESG Enablement Remit, leading a multidisciplinary team responsible for the firm’s sustainability strategy and execution.
“I am really excited to welcome Poppy as our new Chief Investment Officer. This is a key appointment for us at the Church Commissioners, since the wise stewardship of the Church of England’s permanent endowment fund is at the heart of what we do – allowing us to support the Church now and for generations to come,” said Gareth Mostyn, Chief Executive of the Church Commissioners for England.
“With Poppy Allonby, we are welcoming an impressive talent and leader into the Church Commissioners’ fold – Poppy’s investment expertise coupled with her early and prescient focus on sustainable investment will be invaluable to us as we look to deepen and strengthen our commitment to values-based investment – because in our view, values drive value,” said Alan Smith, First Church Estates Commissioner.
Prior to joining T. Rowe Price, Poppy Allonby spent more than twenty years at Blackrock, predominately in equity investment roles and latterly as Managing Director, Head of Global Product Group, EMEA & APAC. Between 2014 and 2022, she was on the Church Commissioners’ Board of Trustees and a member of its Assets Committee.
“I am delighted and honoured to join the Church Commissioners as its CIO, an organisation globally recognised as a leader in sustainable investment,” said Poppy Allonby. “My focus will be on delivering strong, consistent returns to meet the Commissioners’ core purpose, which is to support the mission and ministry of the Church of England – and to do so in an ethical, sustainable way.”
The Church Commissioners has provided the Church with over £3.5bn in funding since 2009, with £1.2bn to be distributed during the current 2023-2025 triennium – a 30% increase on the previous triennium, thanks in large part to the excellent investment returns generated by the Commissioners’ Investment team. The fund has delivered 14 years of positive returns, while building a reputation as a global leader in responsible investment.