The investment research and consulting house confirmed on Tuesday that its former head of real asset and listed strategies, Dugald Higgins, will take on the new role to meet increased demand for ESG insights from advisers.
Mr Higgins has worked for Zenith since 2009 and will lead the growth of the company’s responsible investment offering to ensure the broader Zenith Group, including Chant West, have a stronger and consistent approach to it.
Zenith general manager and head of research Bronwen Moncrieff said Mr Higgins’ unique perspective will optimise outcomes for investors.
“Investor interest, client feedback, manager activity and general market momentum is growing significantly in the area of responsible investing and we are committed to it as both a service provider in our industry and as a business in our community,” she said.
“Dugald has been instrumental in driving Zenith’s work in this area via his responsibilities as chair of Zenith’s Responsible Investment Committee. His involvement in sustainability issues in investment research date back to 2002 and going forward he will be tasked with continuing to drive our RI capabilities across the group.”
The news comes after Zenith launched a dedicated framework for assessing index funds to meet increasing demand from providers of passive investment vehicles in June. The index was created to respond to a growing number and variety of index funds across the retail investment market.
“Responding quickly and effectively to this evolving market need is important in being able to offer advisers access to all the information required to make the right investment recommendations for their clients,” Ms Moncrieff said.
“We’re confident the dedicated index rating methodology will be viewed favourably by the market and afford greater choice and information for advisers. Its rollout over the coming months forms an important part of our research strategy and service offering.”
