Church Commissioners announce Head of Responsible Investment

04/08/2020

The Church Commissioners for England announced today the appointment of Bess Joffe as Head of Responsible Investment for the Church Commissioners for England. She will report to Tom Joy, Chief Investment Officer.

Bess will join the Church Commissioners, in August from Lloyds Banking Group, where she held the position of Director of Investor Relations - ESG. Prior to working at Lloyds Banking Group, Bess also held roles at Goldman Sachs and Hermes Equity Ownership Services.

In recent years the Commissioners have built a strong record for being leaders in the field of responsible investment. Bess joins an award-winning team of five who in 2019 won the IPE ESG award and were included in the PRI Leaders’ Group, which showcases signatories at the forefront of Responsible Investment. In her new role, Bess will champion the Commissioners’ interests and will lead stewardship efforts. In 2019 The Commissioners were rated A+ for RI Strategy & Governance by PRI and gained A+ ratings for Manager Selection, Appointment and Monitoring for all asset classes. In the same year the Commissioners were rated A for engagement and voting.

Commenting on the appointment, Tom Joy, Chief Investment Officer said: “We are delighted to have appointed Bess Joffe to lead the Church Commissioners Responsible Investment Team, a vital part of the Commissioners’ strategy, affecting real change across a range of sectors.

“Bess joins us with an established record of leading stewardship efforts and we are very much looking forward to furthering the way the Commissioners engage across our diverse range of holdings. Managing the Church Commissioners’ £8.7bn fund in an ethical and responsible way is fundamental to the way we work”

Bess added: “I am proud to be joining the Church Commissioners at this exciting time. Real change is starting to be seen thanks to the efforts of responsible investors and I am pleased to be joining a proactive organisation which recognises the challenges facing our world. I look forward to working with the team to build further on their successes.”

Bess Joffe will take up the role officially on 10 August 2020. The position was vacated earlier in the year following the departure of Edward Mason, the previous Head of Responsible Investment.