SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Franklin Templeton today announced the appointment of James Andrus as Vice President of Sustainability Global Markets, a newly created leadership role within the firm’s Global Sustainability Strategy Team. Andrus joins Franklin Templeton from the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), where he served as the Interim Managing Investment Director for Sustainable Investing and led CalPERS’ sustainable investment strategy across its US$443 billion1 investment portfolio.
“James is deeply experienced in corporate governance and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the effective management of financial, human and natural capital to Franklin Templeton,” said Anne Simpson, Franklin Templeton’s Global Head of Sustainability. “We are committed to building dedicated resources as the profound evolution and increasing complexities related to sustainable investing continue in the industry globally. I am delighted for James to join our growing team as we accelerate our efforts in this important area.”
Based in California, Andrus will oversee execution of Franklin Templeton’s sustainability and stewardship initiatives and serve as an advocate and spokesperson with clients, external organizations, policymakers, regulators and internal stakeholders. He will manage the firm’s Global Sustainability Strategy Team, which implements the firm’s sustainable investment strategy and consists of professionals located across Europe, Asia and the United States with additional recruitment underway for data, content, stewardship and product roles. He will also work closely with the firm’s Global Public Policy team. Andrus will report to Simpson, who is responsible for the firm’s overall strategic direction on stewardship and sustainable investment in her role of Global Head of Sustainability. Simpson reports to Jenny Johnson, CEO and President of Franklin Templeton.
“I am excited by the opportunity to join Franklin Templeton, a world-renowned global investment firm with dynamic leaders, at an important point in time to focus on sustainability,” said Andrus. “I look forward to adding value by advancing the sustainable investment priorities and contributing directly to global regulation and policy initiatives while emphasizing enhanced financial information.”
Andrus brings deep industry and regulatory knowledge from his diverse background. Most recently, in serving as Interim Managing Investment Director for Sustainable Investing at CalPERS, he advocated for transparency in the financial markets at the national and international levels to ensure that investors like CalPERS have appropriate regulatory environments for investing their assets. Prior to CalPERS, he was a partner at K&L Gates, a global law firm.
Andrus is an experienced advocate for asset owners as a member of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Investor Advisory Committee, Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) Investor Advisory Group, Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Council (FASAC) and the International Financial Reporting Standards Advisory Council. He is also co-chair of the Financial Capital Committee of the International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN), representing investors overseeing approximately US$70 trillion.2 In March 2023, Andrus was a recipient of ICGN’s Excellence in Corporate Governance Award. Andrus is also a member of the Executive Leadership Council, a national organization comprising current and former Black CEOs and senior executives at Fortune 1000 and Global 500 companies.3
Andrus is a former U.S. Army officer and a graduate of West Point. He received his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law.
Franklin Templeton’s Sustainable Investment and Stewardship Strategy
Franklin Templeton has a commitment to creating long-term sustainability. The investment choices we make can have a profound effect on the world around us. As stewards of our clients' capital, we recognize that the opportunity to generate risk-adjusted returns requires an understanding of how vital financial, natural, and human capital are in value creation.
Distinct Approaches: Our investment teams can independently evaluate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors from multiple angles, varied by asset class, sub-asset class, regional focus, and subject to the terms of their mandate.
Depth of Expertise: We harness a range and depth of investment expertise and insights across asset classes and investment teams guided by our Stewardship and Sustainability Council.
Dedicated to Progress: We believe it is important to consider ESG factors as an integral part of the investment process, and we are committed to building out our roster of strategies with binding sustainable investment objectives.
About Franklin Templeton
Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE:BEN] is a global investment management organization with subsidiaries operating as Franklin Templeton and serving clients in over 155 countries. Franklin Templeton’s mission is to help clients achieve better outcomes through investment management expertise, wealth management and technology solutions. Through its specialist investment managers, the company offers specialization on a global scale, bringing extensive capabilities in fixed income, equity, alternatives and multi-asset solutions. With offices in more than 30 countries and approximately 1,300 investment professionals, the California-based company has over 75 years of investment experience and approximately $1.4 trillion in assets under management as of February 28, 2023. For more information, please visit franklintempleton.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
1. California Public Employees’ Retirement System assets under management as of March 14, 2023. Source: https://www.calpers.ca.gov/page/investments
2. International Corporate Governance Network. Source: https://www.icgn.org/
3. The Executive Leadership Council. Source: https://www.elcinfo.com/what-we-do/
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