29 January 2024, Zurich: On 10th November 2023, South Pole Group announced senior leadership changes and a commitment to reviewing and enhancing the Group's risk management and carbon projects due diligence processes.
As part of this exercise, a Chief Risk Officer has been appointed and relevant internal legal and operational teams have been reorganised. These changes will enable the group to ensure the highest possible standards of risk management and corporate integrity across South Pole's projects and processes worldwide, with the ambition to consistently lead the voluntary carbon market by going above and beyond industry norms and standards.
South Pole has taken a holistic approach to these changes and introduced new internal teams and roles, people where necessary. The changes affect several departments but have been primarily focused on legal, compliance, and risk management.
Antoine Prédour has been appointed as the company's first dedicated Chief Risk Officer, serving on the Executive Committee, and reporting to John Davis, Interim CEO. Antoine will work closely with the Audit & Risk Committee at Board level. He will also focus on upgrading, where necessary, South Pole's risk functions and policies, with an initial focus on the Group's carbon projects. With a background in climate finance work in the global south, Antoine brings a wealth of experience and expertise in due diligence processes, corporate governance and project risk assessment.
Bamshad Houshyani, has been appointed to a new role of Senior Director, Change Lead Risk, reporting to Antoine, underpinning the firm's commitment to building on its existing quality assurance and risk management practices. Julia Storm, previously Head of Operations for Climate Investments, also joins the risk team as Associate Director. More staff are expected to join this newly created team in the next months and the company will update key stakeholders on their work in due course.
Kushal Bhimjiani, a qualified English solicitor with 12 years' experience at law firms Milbank, Norton Rose and Herbert Smith Freehills, has been appointed General Counsel for Corporate, Regulatory and Compliance, reporting to John Davis, Interim CEO. She will be overseeing strategic transactions and financing, regulatory, contentious and compliance matters and corporate governance. This is in addition to her role as Group Corporate Secretary. Joseph D'Arrigo will continue as the Company General Counsel.
This strategic realignment within the legal team reflects a commitment to maintaining the highest standards of corporate governance, and regulatory compliance in line with best practices .
Zoltan Pinter has been appointed to the new role of Chief of Staff to the CEO. His position will be critical in driving organisational performance, ensuring the internal transformation initiatives already underway are successfully completed and communicated, while maintaining the company's financial performance.
With a background in implementing mergers, organisational transformation, and optimising processes across multiple continents and jurisdictions, Zoltan's expertise will be a vital asset for the company as it embarks on the next step of its journey.
John Davis, Interim CEO at South Pole , said: “We are committed to enhancing our group-wide risk controls and due diligence as a priority. These changes are the next important step forward in that process. I am privileged to be steering the firm through this phase of its corporate development, and I have the utmost confidence in this reorganised senior team, which includes our first dedicated Chief Risk Officer, to deliver as promised for all our stakeholders.
“As a business we will strive to not just meet industry standards but to innovate and lead the way within the nascent voluntary carbon market. As part of our commitments will continue to update our key stakeholders on further measures and developments in the coming weeks and months. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our employees for their ongoing hard work and commitment."
ENDS
