UK-headquartered index provider FTSE Russell has announced the appointment of Atsuhito Mori as head of sustainable investment for Japan, effective September 6.
In his new role, Mori is responsible for FTSE Russell’s sustainable investment indexes and data products in the country. Located in the Tokyo office, he reports to head of sustainable investment for Asia Pacific Helena Fung, who is based in Hong Kong.
This is a newly created role, Fung told FinanceAsia, adding that it reflects the growing significance of ESG and sustainable investment within Japanese markets.
“We are delighted to welcome Atsuhito to our growing sustainable investment team in Asia Pacific as we expand the range of climate and broader ESG indexes and data products in the region,” she said in a company release.
Including open positions, FTSE Russell expects to have approximately 7 people in the Asian region working in sustainable investment. Most of these roles will be based in FTSE Russell’s regional headquarters in Hong Kong, with regional specialists based in Tokyo and Sydney, Fung told FA.
Mori joins after more than 6 years with Orix Bank, where he was a head of Asset Management and an ESG investment advisor, his LinkedIn profile shows. Prior to this, he was an investment officer at Robeco where he helped to build the firm’s asset management offering in Japan with a focus on integrating ESG products, the announcement said.
FTSE Russell is a provider of benchmarking, analytics and data wholly owned by the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG). LSEG’s acquisition of Refinitiv earlier this year brought its Asia Pacific headcount from around 400 to 12,400, Fung confirmed.
