NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Blackstone (NYSE: BX) today announced that Dr. Jean Rogers, Founder and Former CEO of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), will be joining the firm in January 2022 as its Global Head of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG).
Dr. Rogers will oversee Blackstone’s corporate ESG team, leading strategy, integration, reporting and engagement. She will partner closely with our business unit heads of ESG, operational and asset management teams and other functional groups across the firm to ensure a highly integrated and coordinated approach. With stakes in more than 250 companies and 10,000 real estate assets, Blackstone impacts nearly half a million employees and countless communities. This offers a tremendous opportunity for value creation initiatives through ESG integration.
Jon Gray, President and Chief Operating Officer, said: “We are thrilled to have attracted someone of Jean’s caliber to lead our ESG efforts. Jean’s significant domain expertise will be invaluable as we work to advance diversity, decarbonization and good governance across our portfolio. ESG initiatives are integral to how we drive value for our investors and we look forward to partnering with Jean to advance these important efforts in the years ahead.”
Christine Anderson, Global Head of External Relations, said: “Jean is a remarkable leader who will bring considerable expertise and energy to our ESG efforts. Her foundational work in ESG measurement and accountability will be hugely additive as we seek to build stronger, more resilient companies through ESG integration.”
Jean Rogers, incoming Global Head of ESG, said: “Blackstone’s scale, expertise, and commitment to ESG enable it to drive growth by being a force for good. Resilient companies are at the heart of resilient portfolios that can outperform in a diverse society and decarbonized economy—and this helps deliver strong returns for clients. I look forward to working with Jon, Christine and the talented Blackstone ESG team to integrate consideration of ESG factors to drive strong performance through better social and environmental outcomes.”
Dr. Rogers founded and led the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), a non-profit dedicated to enhancing the efficiency of U.S. capital markets by fostering disclosure of material sustainability information that meets investor needs and enhances public trust in companies. Under Jean’s leadership, the SASB developed sustainability accounting standards for 79 industries with the involvement of 3,000 stakeholders, raised over $25 million for ESG research on materiality, launched an education program in sustainability accounting, and convened an Investor Advisory Group comprised of leading asset owners and managers with more than $33T in AUM, all advocating for market standards.
Prior to founding SASB, Dr. Rogers worked for more than a decade in sustainable development for Arup, a global engineering consultancy, and for Deloitte in management consulting. She holds a doctorate in environmental engineering and is a former Loeb Fellow at Harvard University.
Dr. Rogers joins a growing list of professionals across Blackstone focused on ESG. The firm has been augmenting its corporate, portfolio operations, and asset management teams — hiring 12 professionals this year including the following senior professionals:
Corporate:
- Elizabeth Lewis, Deputy Head of ESG
- Rita Mangalick, Head of ESG for Blackstone Credit and BAAM
- Devin Glenn, Global Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Portfolio Operations:
- Courtney della Cava, Global Head of Portfolio Talent & Leadership
- James Mandel, Chief Sustainability Officer
- Amisha Parekh, Head of ESG for Private Equity
Real Estate Asset Management:
- Caroline Hill, Head of ESG for Real Estate in EMEA
- Nina James, Head of ESG for Real Estate in APAC
Read more about Blackstone’s commitment to ESG here.
About Blackstone
Blackstone is one of the world’s leading investment firms. We seek to create positive economic impact and long-term value for our investors, the companies we invest in, and the communities in which we work. We do this by using extraordinary people and flexible capital to help companies solve problems. Our $731 billion in assets under management include investment vehicles focused on private equity, real estate, public debt and equity, life sciences, growth equity, opportunistic, non-investment grade credit, real assets and secondary funds, all on a global basis. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow Blackstone on Twitter @Blackstone.
