Global private investment firm AEA Investors announced today that it has hired Heidi DuBois for the newly created position of Global Head of Environmental, Social and Governance. In her new role, DuBois will focus on formalizing AEA’s global strategy across portfolios and build upon the ESG function at the management company level.

Brian Hoesterey, Chief Executive Officer of AEA, said:

“For many years AEA has recognized the value of ESG from both a risk management and a value creation perspective. By incorporating material, measurable and actionable ESG considerations into our deal process, portfolio management and at the firm level, we accelerate the positive impact we have on all our stakeholders. While we are proud of the strides we have made to date with AEA’s comprehensive ESG program centered on investment diligence and portfolio company monitoring and value-creation, we remain steadfast in our commitment to continuous improvement and are pleased to welcome Heidi to AEA as we embark on a new chapter in our ESG journey.”

DuBois joins AEA from global public relations consultancy Edelman, where she served as Global Head of ESG, working with senior executives to design, execute and communicate their ESG strategies to investors and other stakeholders. Prior to joining Edelman, she served as ESG Director at the Society for Corporate Governance, working with general counsels, board members and sustainability leaders to provide education around best-in-class ESG programs. She has also held sustainability, corporate social responsibility and philanthropy roles at Fortune 500 companies BNY Mellon and PepsiCo.

DuBois said:

“I am delighted to be joining AEA at a pivotal moment for ESG in the private markets. At the same time that allocation to private investment is accelerating, the global community is doubling down on efforts to reduce the impacts of climate change on livelihoods and the environment. I look forward to helping AEA continue to evolve its policies and procedures to incorporate new insights and ensure our investment teams are equipped to identify rapidly-shifting ESG risks and opportunities and deepen AEA’s reporting and analytics capabilities.”