US SIF names Maria Lettini CEO
March 09 2023 - 11:35AM
Business Wire
Lettini brings over a decade of senior
sustainable finance experience
US SIF: The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment
announced today the appointment of Maria Lettini as Chief Executive
Officer. Lettini will begin her tenure on May 15, 2023, succeeding
Lisa Woll.
“Maria is the right candidate at the right time,” said Diederik
Timmer, chair of US SIF’s board of directors. “Hiring such an
experienced CEO reinforces the ambitions of our board and the
organization. We are grateful she has chosen to focus her
considerable talent on advancing US SIF’s mission.”
Lettini brings significant executive experience setting
strategic direction and leading a sustainable investment
organization. She served as the Executive Director of FAIRR, a
global institutional investor network addressing the risks and
opportunities within the global food system. Lettini joined FAIRR
in 2016 and oversaw the growth of the organization to represent
investor members with combined assets of over $70 trillion under
management. There she was responsible for cultivating and growing
membership, engaging and driving support, building coalitions and
partnerships, producing research and achieving operational
excellence. She expanded FAIRR’s impact across five key pillars:
research, data, collaborative engagements, policy and investor
outreach. She also served as the primary spokesperson and thought
leader and was a sought-after presenter and facilitator at industry
events bringing together diverse perspectives and voices to drive
meaningful dialogues.
Additionally, Lettini served on the Sustainability Accounting
Standard Board Standards Advisory Group and is a member of the
Intentional Endowment Network’s (IEN) Steering Committee.
Prior to joining FAIRR, Lettini worked for PRI, the UN-supported
Principles for Responsible Investment, where she cultivated and
expanded the ESG community, managing the PRI’s signatory relations
strategy and raising awareness of material ESG issues with
institutional investors. Lettini started her career in global
finance and capital markets, working at both J.P. Morgan and
Deutsche Bank. She holds an MA (Distinction) in Environment,
Politics and Globalization from King’s College London and a BA in
International Business, Latin American Studies and Spanish from San
Diego State University.
“US SIF has accomplished so much and is poised to accelerate its
impact and accomplishments,” said Lettini. “This is an incredible
opportunity to apply my experience from FAIRR and PRI to the US
sustainable investment market and to help drive the mission and
impact of US SIF to the next level.”
US SIF’s board formed a search committee and retained the
services of executive recruitment specialist Korn Ferry to
undertake the search process. The search was led by Kate Shattuck,
Senior Client Partner, Global Financial Services and Co-Leader,
Impact Investing and Becky Graham, Principal and Association
Practice Leader. “We are proud to have supported the US SIF Board
for their CEO search. The process was thorough, transparent and
upheld the highest standards of professionalism and governance. US
SIF’s stakeholders were highly engaged and supportive throughout
the process,” shared Shattuck.
Former CEO Lisa Woll announced her intention to step down in
September 2022 and completed her tenure in February. US SIF
Managing Director Bryan McGannon will serve as acting CEO in the
interim.
About US SIF and the US SIF
Foundation
US SIF: The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible
Investment is the leading voice advancing sustainable investing
across all asset classes. Its mission is to rapidly shift
investment practices toward sustainability, focusing on long-term
investment and the generation of positive social and environmental
impacts. US SIF members include investment management and advisory
firms, mutual fund companies, asset owners, data and research
firms, financial planners and advisors, broker-dealers, banks,
credit unions, community development financial institutions and
non-profit associations.
US SIF is supported in its work by the US SIF Foundation,
a 501(C)(3) organization that undertakes educational and research
activities to advance the mission of US SIF, including offering
trainings for advisors and other financial professionals on the
Fundamentals of Sustainable and Impact Investment.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230309005636/en/
Talia Dunyak +1 414 376 7934 ussif@lowecom.com