Investcorp, a provider and manager of alternative investment products, has appointed Habib Abdur-Rahman, Principal, Corporate Development as its internal ESG lead. Within this new role, Abdur-Rahman will be responsible for overseeing the accelerated adoption of a standardised ESG framework, including implementing and enhancing ESG alignment across all business lines and geographies.
Rishi Kapoor, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Investcorp, says: “One of our key priorities at Investcorp is to deliver sustainable value for our stakeholders. Integrating strong alignment with key ESG factors that are consistent with our own core values is an integral part of this process. We are pleased to have appointed Habib as a dedicated lead to further build upon the Firm’s approximate 40-year history of responsible investing and commitment to the communities in which we operate. We will continue to enhance our ESG commitments and practices.”
Abdur-Rahman says: “I am delighted to be appointed as the Firm’s ESG lead, an appointment which reflects the Firm’s recognition that ESG principles must continue to guide our activities, not only to do right by the communities in which we live, work and invest, but to also deliver the exceptional service our clients expect. Investcorp’s purpose goes beyond excellence in alternative investing to encompass broader issues of environmental and social good, and I look forward to working with all our teams internally as well as with our external stakeholders to integrate consistent and considered ESG practices across our global investing platforms.”
Investcorp launched its group policy on Socially Responsible Investing in early 2019. The Firm’s efforts on firmwide adoption and embedding of sound ESG practices since then have been evolving and gaining traction rapidly, with each business line adapting the application of a set of core principles to its markets and activities.
With the opening of Investcorp’s India office in 2019, the Firm has accelerated its adoption of a common ESG framework, with an initial aim of becoming fully aligned with this framework for all its investment activities in India as a pilot, and then propagating these across the rest of the Firm worldwide. Investcorp India also partnered with Cambridge University’s Consulting Network, the UK’s largest student-run consultancy, to leverage the talent and perspectives of the next generation of thought leaders and developed an ESG framework that is modelled on the principles of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB). Since then, Investcorp has already commenced integrating ESG principles into its investment strategies in India, starting with a clear focus on ESG risk mitigation across all investments and transitioning to being an active opportunity seeker over the medium term.
