For the first time, Evli has elected its Head of Sustainability to the Board of Directors of its fund management company. The appointment of Outi Helenius is part of Evli's growing commitment to sustainability and its development as an ever-growing part of Evli's operations.
On March 10, 2021, the Annual General Meeting of Evli Fund Management Company Ltd elected its new Board of Directors. Joining as new members are Evli's CEO Maunu Lehtimäki, CFO Juho Mikola and Head of Sustainability Outi Helenius. Continuing members include Kim Pessala, Head of Evli's Institutional Clients, as well as external members Lea Keinänen and Petri Olkinuora.
Sustainability is an area of strategic importance for Evli, and responsible investing is an integral part of all its investment activities. The appointment of Outi Helenius, Head of Sustainability, to the fund management company’s board continues Evli's systematic work to develop and promote sustainability.
"At Evli, sustainability is truly part of all our operations, and an area that we are constantly working to further develop. We believe that taking sustainability factors into account leads to better investment decisions. Furthermore, mitigating the climate crisis is an important issue for Evli and we want to play our part in supporting the transitions that companies are making to a low-carbon society. The appointment of a head of sustainability to the fund management company's board is a natural continuation of this development," says Maunu Lehtimäki, CEO of Evli.
Helenius has worked at Evli since 2015 and has successfully advanced Evli's responsible investing. For four years in a row, Evli has been ranked number one in the KANTAR SIFO Prospera "External Asset Management Finland" survey for responsible investment. In addition, the UN's umbrella organisation for responsible investment, the PRI, awarded Evli the highest grade (A+) in the category of strategy and governance in an international comparison in 2020. Prior to joining Evli, Helenius had experience in investor relations at KONE and equity research at SEB.
Helenius says she is excited about the new appointment and ready for the opportunities it brings.
"I am very pleased and honoured by this show of confidence. The selection reflects the importance of sustainability for Evli and creates even better opportunities for the development of sustainability. Our funds have already promoted responsible investment and selection processes for a long time and the portfolio managers are actively involved in the development process, which creates excellent conditions for the future. For example, 97% of our funds already have a green rating in the light green and dark green categories of the EU SFDR classifications," says Outi Helenius, Evli’s Head of Sustainability.
Read more about Evli´s responsible investing
For more information:
Maunu Lehtimäki, CEO, Evli Bank Plc, tel. +358 (0)50 553 3000, maunu.lehtimaki@evli.com
Outi Helenius, Head of Sustainability, Evli Bank Plc, tel. +358 (0)40 720 6859, outi.helenius@evli.com
