Arabesque Deepens Sustainability Team with New Hires Herman Bril and Ulrika Hasselgren
Sustainable finance technology provider Arabesque Group announced today the appointments of Hires Herman Bril as CEO of Arabesque Asset Management, and Ulrika Hasselgren as Head of Nordics as well as Head of Europe for Corporates and Sovereigns.
Arabesque stated that the new appointments come as the firm expands its services to meet rapidly increasing demand for sustainability and AI technology solutions across global markets. The announcement follows the recent hiring by Arabesque of Daniel Klier as its new President, and as CEO of the company’s ESG data platform Arabesque S-Ray.
Bril, who will be joining Arabesque in July, has been serving as CIO of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF) since 2016, where he developed and implemented the fund’s sustainable investment strategy, with assets under management increasing from $52 billion to $82 billion during his tenure. In his new role, Bril will be responsible for Arabesque’s global asset management business and its growing suite of AI-driven sustainable investment products and solutions, including the firm’s new net-zero climate investment strategy that launches this year for clients.
Bril said:
“Technology and data are playing a key role in reshaping sustainable investing, spurring market transformation away from industrial-era concepts towards future-fit models and new horizons.
“Powered by the market-leading ESG data assets of S-Ray and the group’s AI technology, Arabesque can help drive change through its autonomous, sustainable investment products and solutions.
“I am thrilled to be joining Arabesque’s exceptional team of sustainable investment engineers, and scaling-up the delivery of competitive ESG strategies that reflect client values whilst delivering market returns.”
Hasselgren joins Arabesque after serving as Global Head of Sustainability and Impact Investment at Danske Bank, where she developed a vision and strategic roadmap for the bank’s journey to embed sustainability into the core of its investment business. Hasselgren co-founded Ethix SRI Advisors in 1999, which was acquired by Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) in 2015, where she continued to serve as Global Head of RI Strategy and ESG Integration until joining Danske Bank in 2018. In her new role, she will be responsible for overseeing Arabesque’s range of ESG data and insights services for corporate and sovereign clients in Europe, and will lead the group’s activities and expansion in the Nordic region and will be based in Stockholm.
Hasselgren said:
“Over the coming few years, technology will transform the global marketplace, with artificial intelligence shaping the rapid evolution of financial services from online banking to asset management, and ushering in the next generation of ESG products.
“The emergence of technology has also enabled the integration of sustainability within business and investment processes at a greater scale than ever before, and Arabesque will play a key leadership role in this transition through its unique range of AI-based ESG solutions.
“I’m excited to be joining Arabesque’s fast-growing team with its collaborative and entrepreneurial culture, and I look forward to bringing innovative new data, insights and investment products to the Nordic market.”
Georg Kell, Chairman of the Arabesque Group and founding Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact, added:
“A more sustainable financial system is starting to emerge, with technology and digitalisation the key drivers shaping the future of ESG investing.
“I am thrilled to welcome Herman Bril and Ulrika Hasselgren to Arabesque, with their experience of successfully developing and implementing sustainable investment strategies at various financial institutions. As the company scales up its products and services worldwide to meet market demand, their vision and leadership will be invaluable.”