Franklin Templeton has hired James Andrus to the newly created role of vice-president of sustainability global markets.
Andrus joins Franklin Templeton from the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (Calpers), where he served as the interim managing investment director for sustainable investing and led CalPERS’ sustainable investment strategy across its $443bn investment portfolio and advocated for transparency in the financial markets at the national and international levels to ensure that investors like Calpers have appropriate regulatory environments for investing their assets. Prior to Calpers, he was a partner at global law firm K&L Gates.
He is also a member of the Securities and Exchange Commission investor advisory committee, Public Company Accounting Oversight Board investor advisory group, Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Council and the International Financial Reporting Standards Advisory Council. He co-chairs the financial capital committee of the International Corporate Governance Network, and is a member of the Executive Leadership Council, a national organization comprising current and former Black CEOs and senior executives at Fortune 1000 and Global 500 companies.
“James is deeply experienced in corporate governance and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the effective management of financial, human and natural capital to Franklin Templeton,” said Anne Simpson, who also previously worked at Calpers, Franklin Templeton’s global head of sustainability, who Andrus will report to.
Based in California, Andrus will oversee execution of Franklin Templeton’s sustainability and stewardship initiatives and serve as an advocate and spokesperson with clients, external organizations, policymakers, regulators and internal stakeholders. He will manage the firm’s global sustainability strategy team, which implements the firm’s sustainable investment strategy and consists of professionals located across Europe, Asia and the US with additional recruitment underway for data, content, stewardship and product roles. He will also work closely with the firm’s global public policy team.
“I look forward to adding value by advancing the sustainable investment priorities and contributing directly to global regulation and policy initiatives while emphasizing enhanced financial information,” Andrus said.