From living wages to FairPensions: Catherine Howarth to become Chief Executive of responsible investment campaign.
Catherine Howarth, presently Director of West London Citizens, is to become the Chief Executive of FairPensions, the campaign for Responsible Investment. She will take up the role on 28th July.
Catherine's previous role at London Citizens included a high-profile campaign for a London Living Wage, which successfully influenced a broad cross-section of stakeholders, including companies, investors, public bodies and politicians.Catherine is also a pension fund trustee and a former Senior Researcher (on poverty and social exclusion) at the New Policy Institute.
FairPensions already has a track record of persuading major UK pension funds and fund managers of the business case for improved accountability and engagement on environmental, social and governance issues; as well as a successful joint campaign with Oxfam on access to medicines.
Stephen Hine, Chair of Trustees at FairPensions, said "Catherine's experience at engaging and influencing a variety of decision makers, as well as her experience with NGOs, unions and community groups, will be invaluable to FairPensions given its position between, and work with, institutional investors and civil society." Catherine Howarth said "I am delighted to be joining FairPensions. I look forward to building on its impressive track record of generating support for responsible investment and in moving major investors and fund managers to adopt the best possible practice."
Catherine replaces Alex van der Velden who is now Head of Responsibile Equity Strategies at the Dutch asset manager PGGM.