The Riverside Company has appointed Dörte Höppner as its first chief sustainability officer.
In the newly created role, Höppner will be tasked with overseeing the private investment firm’s global ESG initiatives.
Höppner will transition into the role having joined the US-based company in 2017 from P+P, a German law firm.
Höppner will be responsible for identifying specific ESG initiatives and harmonising the inclusion of the strategies within Riverside’s various fund families including private equity, flexible capital, and private credit.
By working closely with each funds managing partner, Höppner will facilitate the adoption of the ESG initiatives.
Despite moving into the newly formed role, Höppner will retain her leadership role for fundraising and investor relations for Riverside in Europe.
She has been promoted to managing director of fundraising and IR and will report to co-CEOs Stewart Kohl and Béla Szigethy.
Kohl said: “Diversity and inclusion, committed environmental stewardship and high standards of corporate governance have become core issues of business concern over recent years and rightly so.
“Private equity investors expect good ESG practice of their management firms and we, in turn, expect this of our portfolio companies.”
Szigethy added: “Creating this role is a very logical step for us, and Dörte is the perfect person to fulfill this.
“She has spearheaded the group’s ESG initiatives for some time now and is recognized within the wider private equity community for her deep understanding of and involvement in ESG and all of its dimensions. This appointment reflects the wonderful job she has done championing ESG in Europe.”
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