Border to Coast welcomes new Head of Responsible Investment

Border to Coast Pensions Partnership (Border to Coast) has appointed Tim Manuel as its new Head of Responsible Investment.

Tim joins Border to Coast from Aon, the leading global professional services provider, where he has worked for 18 years, including six most recently as Head of Responsible Investment. He will join Border to Coast in early September.

He led a team of 20, helping Aon’s pension fund and other investor clients implement responsible investment strategies. The rest of Tim’s time at Aon was spent advising pension funds on funding and investments.

Tim’s appointment follows the retirement of Jane Firth after six years at Border to Coast in a career with the LGPS spanning over 40 years. Jane led Border to Coast’s Responsible Investment team from the outset, contributing hugely to RI best practice for the benefit of its 11 Partner Funds.

Tim said: “I’m excited about and relishing the prospect of joining Border to Coast and the opportunity to work with Partner Funds that are aligned on a long-term approach to sustainable investing.

“Responsible investment is at the core of Border to Coast and I’m keen to collaborate with new colleagues, Partner Funds, the wider LGPS and investment industry to build on the impressive foundations that have been established through the dedication and hard work of Jane and the team.”

Rachel Elwell, CEO Border to Coast, said: “We are pleased to welcome Tim to Border to Coast. Our role as a responsible investor is vital to our work on behalf of the LGPS. Tim’s expertise and commitment to sustainable investing will be an invaluable addition for our Partner Funds. He joins us as we continue to strengthen our integration of ESG as well as our approach to stewardship and voting, ensuring that we continue to deliver for Partner Funds whilst considering how investments affect society and the environment.

“Tim will take forward the outstanding work spearheaded by Jane. Her tremendous legacy has included establishing Border to Coast as a leader in integrating responsible investment practices across portfolios to drive meaningful change on behalf of Partner Funds.”

Tim, who lives in Leeds, is an actuary (Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries) and has a degree in Theoretical Physics from the University of Newcastle.

He regularly contributes to industry research and initiatives that promote responsible investment best practices. As well as speaking at industry events and conferences, he served as the Working Group co-chair for the Investment Leaders Group at the Cambridge Institute of Sustainability Leadership, collaborating with other leaders to drive positive change in the field.

Some of Border to Coast’s most recent work on Responsible Investment includes:

• Collaboration with Royal London Asset Management, and Friends Provident Foundation to lay out clear expectations for the banking sector to help ensure a just transition.
• As part of engagement escalation with the oil and gas sector, strengthening the climate voting policy for the 2024 AGM season and increasing the number of companies Border to Coast publicly pre-declared climate votes for ahead of their AGMs.
• Launch of a second £1.2 billion Climate Opportunities proposition, as part of its £16 billion private markets programme. This invests in projects and businesses that are expected to make a material contribution to decarbonising the global economy. The second offering builds on the £1.4 billion already invested through Climate Opportunities 1 which was launched in 2022.