ThomasLloyd bolsters impact investing capabilities with appointment of former Asian Development Bank’s SDGs leader

Zurich, 10 October 2022. ThomasLloyd, the specialist impact investment solutions provider, advisor and asset manager, has hired former Asian Development Bank (ADB) Principal Results Management specialist, Smita Nakhooda as Head of Impact & ESG.

In this newly created role, Smita Nakhooda will work across the group, focusing on both internal and external corporate initiatives, as well as further developing the firm’s investment framework to the highest standard. She will be responsible for leading on ThomasLloyd’s commitment to continuously evolve its policies and practices in line with industry best practice and the global sustainability agenda, and ensure the firm remains at the forefront of impact investing. Based in Zurich and starting on 10 October, she will report directly to chief executive Michael Sieg.

Smita Nakhooda joins ThomasLloyd from the multilateral financing institution ADB, where most recently she held the role of Principal Results Management specialist. In this capacity she was responsible for leading the integration of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into the bank’s policies and key performance indicators. During her time at the bank, she also worked on the development of impact measurement and management standards to mobilise the financing needed to deliver on the SDGs.

As an international expert on sustainable finance and climate change, Smita brings to the group nearly two decades of experience in environmental sustainability, social inclusion, and robust governance practices, particularly in emerging markets. Prior to ADB, she was a senior research fellow at the Overseas Development Institute in London, where she was responsible for leading a dedicated work stream examining the role of financial markets in addressing climate change.

Commenting on the appointment, Michael Sieg, ThomasLloyd Group’s chief executive, said: “Smita not only brings to ThomasLloyd her international expertise in sustainable and climate finance, but she is also joining us with years of experience working in some of our core and target markets.

“As an Indian national and having worked in the Philippines for several years, Smita brings unique local insights and on-the-ground expertise that will be key in helping us tap into the most compelling sustainable infrastructure investment opportunities in the world’s fastest growing economies. We have always recognised the critical importance of building local teams with a genuine knowledge and understanding of the markets we operate in as part of our investment model so her joining the group is a great opportunity to further enhance this model.”

ThomasLloyd is a pioneer in impact investing in high-growth and emerging markets across Asia, having financed and invested in real assets across the full life cycle of development, construction, and operation since 2011. Over this time, the business has grown rapidly, diversifying into new markets, and expanding its product offering to reach a wider range of investors seeking to sustainably deploy their capital.

More recently, in 2021, the firm listed its ThomasLloyd Energy Impact Trust (TLEI) on the premium segment of London Stock Exchange’s (LSE) main market. The Trust attracted investment at listing from prominent British and European institutional and sovereign investors, including the UK Government via its MOBILIST initiative and has been awarded the Green Economy Mark by the LSE. It is the first and only dedicated company on the LSE providing direct access to sustainable energy infrastructure in the fast-growing economies of Asia.

ThomasLloyd is a signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Investments (UN PRI) and supports various initiatives for sustainable investment including the Asia Corporate Governance Association

(ACGA), Asia Investor Group on Climate Change (AIGCC), the Global Impact Investment Network (GIIN), Climate-Related Financial Disclosures Task Force (TCFD) and the Swiss Sustainable Finance (SSF).