Coller poaches Doughty Hanson ESG head

The secondaries powerhouse hired Adam Black in March to lead its environmental, social, governance and sustainability efforts.

Coller Capital has hired the head of sustainability at London buyout firm Doughty Hanson to lead the secondaries powerhouse’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) efforts.

Adam Black
Adam Black

Adam Black joined Coller in March as Head of ESG and Sustainability from Doughty Hanson, a spokesman confirmed. Black had worked at Doughty Hanson since 2008 and focused on responsible investment and sustainability for ESG risks across the firm’s portfolio companies, according to the firm’s website.

Coller implemented its ESG policy in 2011 and became a signatory to the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) in 2014, according to its website.

The firm is currently deploying its Coller International Partners VII fund which closed on $7.2 billion last December.

In an interview last year with sister publication Agri Investor, Black said general partners lacked the expertise to engage with portfolio companies over topics such as factory farming and climate change.

“There are probably only about half a dozen truly qualified people with a decent number of years relevant experience behind them in, working in private equity as portfolio-facing ESG specialists in the whole of Europe,” he said.

Secondaries deals have been spurred by concerns about ESG. In February, the New Jersey State Investment Council (NJSIC) sold its stake in a buyout fund that backs a payday lender after advocacy groups objected to the New Jersey state pension investing in a business that charges high interest rates for loans, as Secondaries Investor reported.