Asset Management
Acre partners with asset owners and investment managers to build leadership teams that drive both financial and sustainable impact. We place senior executives - including CEOs, CIOs, COOs, and CFOs - alongside specialists in strategy, risk management, and asset allocation. Additionally, we source investment professionals and advisory board members to ensure firms have the expertise to navigate evolving market dynamics and deliver long-term value.
Impact Investing
Our Financial Services team connects impact investing firms with forward-thinking professionals who balance financial returns with meaningful change. We specialise in securing top talent across investment, sales, investor relations, business development, and deal sourcing, as well as C-Suite and portfolio operations leadership. With a strong focus on human capital expertise, we help firms scale their impact and integrate ESG principles into investment strategies.
Private Markets
Private markets firms rely on Acre to secure high-performing talent across investment, sales, business development, and deal sourcing. We also place senior leadership teams, including those driving financial strategy, portfolio operations, and human capital development. Our expertise ensures firms have the right people to fuel growth, resilience, and long-term value creation in an increasingly complex market.
Real Assets and Infrastructure
Acre partners with real assets and infrastructure firms to build teams that maximise investment performance and sustainability. We provide strategic leadership and operational expertise by placing top-tier professionals in investment, business development, sales, and investor relations, as well as C-Suite and portfolio operations roles. Our network enables firms to embed ESG considerations, strengthen asset performance, and drive long-term value.
Banking and Capital Markets
Leading banks and capital markets firms turn to Acre to build teams that drive sustainable finance, risk management, and regulatory compliance. We place specialists in investment, business development, and risk, alongside senior executives - including CEOs, CFOs, CSOs and COOs - who shape market positioning and guide firms through changing markets.
Insurance
Acre works with insurance firms to build teams that drive innovation in underwriting, risk management, and impact-driven investment. We connect businesses with experienced leadership across finance, investment, and operations, alongside specialists in sales, investor relations, and business development. Our expertise helps firms navigate regulatory changes, integrate ESG considerations, and unlock new market opportunities.
Finding senior leadership with an ESG focus
Our global financial services practice services clients across asset management, banking & capital markets, private markets & real assets & infrastructure, impact investing, and insurance - playing a pivotal role in providing talent solutions advancing sustainable finance and responsible investment. We connect organisations globally with top-tier talent who blend financial expertise with a deep understanding of sustainability and ESG.
We collaborate with a diverse global client base, ranging from industry-leading multinational investment firms to emerging managers. With a hands-on, process-driven approach, we address our clients’ most critical talent needs, ensuring they have the leadership to drive success.
Meet the Financial Services Team
Financial Services Insights
Financial Services
ShowcaseProviding clarity around sustainability and AI for a brighter future
Earlier this year, Georgina Sell, Principal Consultant, EMEA - Industry & Infrastructure, shared a paper ‘The Green Recovery and Beyond: How exactly are industries working to combat climate change?’, inspired by Project Drawdown’s roadmap.
Recently, Georgie spent time with Lorenzo Saa, Chief Sustainability Officer at sustainable technology company Clarity AI, to learn about the key tech drivers accelerating sustainability and yield a better understanding of AI and the opportunities associated with its ability to address climate change.
Can you tell us a bit more about Clarity AI?
Lorenzo: We provide sustainability data and insights to investors, consumers and companies to bring societal impact to markets.
Our approach is evident in our name: Clarity. The intention is to bring transparency to the traditional black box ESG data and insights offering, to ensure there is a level of traceability regarding data and the underlying methodologies, so investors can focus on driving their own sustainability investment choices. In fact, compared to when I started my career 20+ years ago, investors today are much more competent and knowledgeable on sustainability and make decisions by looking at the underlying data rather than just relying on an external service provider’s ratings.
As for AI, which is also reflected in our name, we recognised that it could be a powerful tool for enhancing scale and speed while addressing the complexities of sustainability data. AI is not the end goal but a means to achieve it, complementing a data-driven approach rather than relying solely on analysts.
Why do you think AI could be a significant force in addressing sustainability?
The world has made some big sustainability commitments. However, we're very far from the Paris Agreement goal of 1.5 degrees today as we are currently on the trajectory of a 2.8 degrees world compared to pre-industrial times. Moreover, only 15 per cent of the SDGs achieved. Finally, we are quite behind the Global Biodiversity Framework “30 by 30” conservation target, with only 17 per cent protected area on the terrestrial side and eight per cent protected area on the maritime side.
With all this in mind, we need the right level of speed and scalability to address these complex problems hence the importance of technology and AI.
We believe any consumer, company or investor makes decisions along the ‘knowledge pyramid’. Data is at the bottom of the pyramid and as you move up there is information, knowledge, wisdom and action. We drive action by bringing AI and subject matter experts together at each step of the pyramid.
How can we use AI to help strengthen ESG data?
I think there are four elements - the first is coverage. AI can collect data on web pages or PDF documents and read free text, graphs, and images; combining humans and AI can simplify and expand this process and significantly expand data coverage.
The second element is reliability. Ensuring the quality of the data is still a huge challenge, but machine learning reliability models can perform specific checks to drastically enhance accuracy.
The third one is alternative data sets. When reported data is not available, we have different alternative data sets to leverage on. In this context, AI enables us to transform unstructured data (like satellite data or news streams) into structured data, providing deeper insights.
Finally, estimates play a crucial role. Finally, when data just isn’t there the estimation capabilities of AI are particularly strong: Estimation helps investors move ahead on climate issues which is important from a scope 3 perspective. These indirect emissions represent around 70 per cent of the average corporate value chain’s total emissions. As 42 per cent of companies report on scope 3 and usually on only one of its factors, estimation is a critical element to address a significant part of the transition to net zero.
Where do you feel ESG data estimations and AI may not work?
That's a great question and I think we should be first and foremost encouraging the market to drive the reported data. The fact that companies are still not reporting certain issues is a challenge and I think there's a lot of initiatives to drive that change.
However, when data is not available, you need to ensure that using estimation is appropriate by assessing a few key elements: Firstly, looking at the methodology and how critical that estimation is and secondly, evaluating the assumptions behind the estimation - are they transparent and do you fully understand them?
The third is the confidence level of that estimation. Whether it’s high, low or medium, this will help you determine if using a lower-confidence estimate might be too risky.
The final point is ensuring estimations start from a validated data set for comparison. I think sometimes there's this feeling of ‘let's not do estimations, it's not the right thing’. The reality is estimations are used a lot in financial accounting and we don't see why we shouldn’t look at them from a climate perspective.
Once these aspects are critically reviewed, then we should remind ourselves that the issues that we're trying to address are so significant that an 80/20 rule should be used to move forward. Like we do in financial accounting, estimations are not perfect, but they can still be close enough and practical to take action against them.
How does this fit with the needs of SFDR/CSRD for asset managers and corporates?
As the reporting landscape becomes more complex, with directives such as the CSRD and SFDR, AI can help simplify the process. For example, in the case of the SFDR (Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation), which mandates that market participants report on the sustainability impacts of their investments, Clarity AI offers a tool that allows you to automatically generate your Article 8 periodic reports using a simple questionnaire, our data and previous reports.
This is important to us as it allows investors and corporates to focus on the ‘doing’ versus the ‘reporting’.
How do you think AI can make life easier for investors, companies and consumers to help them report and progress on their own sustainability journeys?
Transition plans are critical in climate and require a lot of review to see if they are credible. We are now capable of looking at these reports through AI and assessing if the targets they set are accompanied by quantifiable measures that can achieve those targets.
We recently found for example, that only 40% of the higher emitting companies have these credible transition plans.
Additionally, AI assistants, like the one we’ve developed at Clarity AI, use advanced algorithms to interpret and contextualize ESG data, providing insights and trend analysis. This enables investors to “converse” with their portfolio, finding sources, trends and potential areas of improvements in a much easier and efficient format. These are just two examples of how life can be much easier with the leverage of AI.
How can we counter risks associated with AI?
I like to think there is an ESG of AI. Governance is probably the critical starting point and a good way of looking at it is how we manage our controversy solution. It runs on discriminative AI, not generative AI, to avoid hallucinations, it removes names of companies at the beginning of the process to avoid any bias towards certain names, and any controversy deemed at a high severity level must go through one of our subject matter experts to ensure that we best manage the combination of AI and humans in the loop.
On the environmental side, there's a need to consume electricity to run the algorithms and to cool facilities, which uses a lot of water consumption. These issues need to be addressed, starting by using renewable energy, but also by designing efficient models better aligned to their use cases, and investing in further hardware efficiency innovation.
There are different ways to look at the social aspects, for example in terms of what's going to happen regarding labour. As in climate, AI will also require a just transition, with companies and governments taking their part in addressing it.
How do you believe AI can help empower consumers to accelerate the transition to a more circular economy?
We're working with ING Spain to provide over four million customers with the possibility to see their carbon footprint on their banking app based on their activity.
How you act as a consumer to ensure that your footprint gets reduced will become part of the way we think of our activities, if we have something in our pocket that informs us of our sustainable actions.
What do you foresee as the most essential skills to drive what is needed in AI?
I would argue everyone will need to have a balance of technical, analytical and soft skills, and - depending on the role - the weighting of these will change.
Not everybody needs to know the details of NLP machine learning (cloud computing), but a general understanding will probably be needed by everyone. How to use these tools will be quite critical alongside wanting to continue to learn.
A great quote that I heard was that AI is not going to take your job, but someone that knows about AI will take your job.
And so being open, willing to see where the world is going and wanting to learn new things will make a difference in terms of success.
But you don't all need to be technicians – we have a huge data science team, but we also have a significant number of subject matter expertise. The ability to collaborate between data scientists and sustainability expertise is what we believe drives our success.
Clarity AI recently won the Impact Investing Platform of the Year, you were also selected as technology pioneer by the World Economic Forum and named one of the most innovative companies. Why do you think Clarity AI is so award-winning?
We are very honoured by these recognitions and most recently, we were also named a leader in Forrester's Q3 2024 ESG and analytics provider assessment. We are driven by two things: One is the desire to stay on top of innovation, which is critical in today's world. I think being able to know how to leverage tools and technology to drive scalability is what investors are particularly keen to see. We are creating waves in the sustainability space, and we're excited about that, but we don't just offer data, methodologies or tools, we combine the three which is quite unique in the market, so we find players extremely excited to work with us.
What is your biggest call to action?
Three things spring to mind. The first is we are all a force of change and have a role to play, so it’s important to recognise this, take responsibility, and act.
Secondly, I think the world has this simplistic view of how to address climate change with black and white approaches. I think a more nuanced engagement with companies, governments and people will make the difference.
And the last thing is embracing technology. There's no way we will meet the Paris Agreement target if we don't use our intellect, creativity and innovation to drive change. A lot of the solutions are out there but they need to be scaled.
Instead of thinking of AI as the Terminator that's going to inform us, the way I look at it is that we're all Skywalkers and the Force is with us. But Skywalker had R2D2 with him.
And that's what AI is for us.
Financial ServicesThought LeadershipInsurers, thematic and impact funds drive sustainability hiring
Featuring Acre's Paddy Balfour for AsianInvestor, published on 10.06.2024, Original Source: Insurers, thematic and impact funds drive sustainability hiring, Author: Indira Vergis
Some roles in the sustainability arena are seeing demand even amid broader economic and job market uncertainty, according to recruitment and investment industry experts.
Demand for sustainability-focused hires is growing in some parts of the financial services industry in Asia, even as sustainability became a politically charged term in other parts of the world such as the US.
Hiring for certain sustainability roles remains robust in Asia even amid broader job market uncertainty, according to recruitment and investment industry experts.
“Insurance as a sector is experiencing significant growth having been slower to develop adequate levels of expertise internally and now seeing both the imperative and opportunity”, Paddy Balfour, Singapore-based executive director for Asia Pacific at Acre, a sustainability hiring consultancy, told AsianInvestor.
Insurers such as AIA, Ping An and Prudential have told AsianInvestor over the past six months that they are actively increasing their sustainability investments.
“We are also seeing huge growth in specialist funds. This includes thematic funds around decarbonisation, sustainable infrastructure, energy transition, natural capital and climate, as well as more specialist impact funds,” he added.
RISING REGULATORY PRESSURES
The main driver of ESG [environment, social and governance] adoption in the Asia Pacific, nevertheless, is still an increasing web of regulations.
“Financial institutions now have mandatory disclosure requirements in various jurisdictions across the region,” said Jules Bottlaender, Head of Sustainable Finance for APAC at BNP Paribas Securities Services.
“Most of them are related to climate financial disclosure aligned with TCFD, which require specific teams to collect climate data and analyse the related risks and opportunities.”
This has resulted in the creation of numerous reporting roles, although mostly for traditional buy-side clients.
“The alternatives can often avoid those regulatory requirements by justifying non materiality of these risks due to their strategy (high frequency, FX, long-short, derivatives, etc). There is no sign of easing as new regulations coming in will extend to broader sustainability topics (ISSB) or other reporting requirements (taxonomy, fund labelling, etc),” Bottlaender told AsianInvestor.
He also noted the emergence of specific investment strategies such as thematic investing and impact investing, both of which require investment managers with sustainability expertise.
The world’s largest climate finance fund, Green Finance Fund, also told AsianInvestor recently that it plans to invest in up to 40 investments in 2024, and Asia is expected to play a key role in that.
Other specialised entities focused on decarbonisation and nature-based solutions operating in the region include GenZero and Pentagreen Capital.
Family offices have also emphasised the importance of impact investing and how they see that as investing for profit and doing good.
TRADITIONAL INVESTOR’S DEMAND
Many financial institutions are increasingly also integrating ESG factors into investment decisions.
“This is driven by fiduciary duty and other frameworks such as the UNPRI [United Nations Principles of Responsible Investment]. This task requires both ESG data roles and ESG analysts.
“Traditionally, ESG factors have been integrated for equity investments since the relationship with risk/return is more obvious. However, the practice has been broadening to other asset classes such as corporate bonds, real estate, infrastructure and private equity,” Bottlaender said.
Gabriel Nam, partner leading the ESG, strategy and transformation practice in Asia for Page Executive, said the recruitment consultant recently helped a private equity fund find a sustainability expert for the real estate portion of the fund’s portfolio.
While the market is a little uncertain right now, companies continue to hire at junior levels for data crunching and data analysis or some reporting and coordination/alignment work (which is also a core part of sustainability function).
“Many people are starting to show a passion for sustainability and the barriers to entry are lower at this point,” said Singapore-based Nam.
Shortlisted candidates for sustainability roles can have very different backgrounds – from communications and accounting to marketing research, Nam said.
“Picking up the skills required for reporting is not considered very hard so it’s not a must to have prior functional background in finance, accounting, compliance or legal (that are traditionally strong in compliance, reporting) etc.”
Increasingly they also have a certification qualification, which can range from a CESGA [Certified ESG Analyst], CFA ESG Investing, Master’s degree in sustainability related subjects or at least some short-term sustainability-related courses offered by renowned organisations, he added.
“However with certain specialised topics like climate change or nature-based solutions, candidates tend to have a stronger academic background in certain subjects like environmental science, environmental engineering, geography etc.”
TALENT SHORTAGE AMID GREENWASHING
All three experts that AsianInvestor spoke to said there is an ongoing talent shortage in this space.
The financial sector is seeing a proliferation of ESG-related roles, such as sustainable finance investment bankers, green bonds specialists, and ESG portfolio managers and chief sustainability officer, said BNP Paribas’s Bottlaender.
He noted that due to the talent gap, some companies are offering premiums for individuals with ESG expertise.
Negative publicity around greenwashing has resulted in organisations in some cases reducing their sustainability commitments, yet “the regulations, risk and opportunities are only increasing and therefore we don’t see a reduction in roles,” said Acre’s Balfour.
“Teams are undoubtedly being asked to deliver more with less as part of the challenges experienced more broadly in the economic outlook.”
“The key trend that we are seeing in sustainability hiring in Asia-Pacific is a focus on value.
“Large, costly, centralised teams are being repositioned to be better aligned with business needs resulting in a smaller number but a higher value of hire.”
This includes professionals that can generate alpha through research, coverage and sector bankers who can drive deal flow through as part of the transition, and product specialists who can bring knowledge and expertise to the LP discussion.
“If anything we are seeing more specialised senior hiring from firms looking for real commercial value from their sustainability teams that they weren’t getting from larger but less qualified teams,” Balfour added.
Financial ServicesShowcaseExploring Sustainable Finance Talent: Acre x The Sustainable Finance Podcast
Acre has partnered with The Sustainable Finance Podcast to deliver a thought-provoking six-episode series that provides deep insights into the evolving sustainable finance talent market. Hosted by Paul Ellis, the podcast features expert voices from leading global organisations—including Schroders, FTSE Russell, The London Stock Exchange Group, Gitterman Wealth Management, and more.
Each episode unpacks critical challenges and opportunities in sustainable finance, covering themes like the transition to a sustainable economy, nature-based solutions, and climate risk management.
Meet the Experts
The series features some of the most respected professionals in the field, including:
• Andy Cartland – Founder & Interim Managing Director, APAC at Acre
• Gloria Mirrione – Executive Director, Sustainable Finance & Impact Investing, Americas at Acre
• Ellen Rutherford – Managing Director, Americas at Acre
• Paul Ellis – Host of The Sustainable Finance Podcast
Together, they discuss the latest trends shaping the sustainable finance industry and the skills required to drive meaningful impact.
Episode Breakdown
Episode 1: Talent and the Sustainable Economy
Talent is at the core of the sustainability transition. In this opening episode, Andy Cartland and Gloria Mirrione explore the vital role that financial services—and the professionals within them—play in accelerating a more sustainable economy. They discuss:
• How organisations can attract and develop top sustainability talent
• The skills needed to lead change in the financial sector
• The increasing importance of sustainability expertise in investment strategies
“We know that the more impact we can catalyse, the more successful we are going to be. We also know that to succeed commercially in this market, you have to be passionate.”
– Andy Cartland, Founder, Acre
Episode 2: Nature-Based Solutions Combine Science & Investment Strategy
Nature-based solutions (NbS) offer significant opportunities for net-zero strategies and climate resilience. In this episode, Gloria Mirrione speaks with:
• Charlotte Kaiser (Head of Impact Finance, BTG Pactual Timberland Investment Group)
• Chris Larson (CIO, Alder Point Capital Management)
They discuss the intersection of investment and conservation, focusing on how NbS can provide financial, social, and environmental returns.
Episode 3: Investing in Water Propels Prosperity and Climate Resilience
Access to clean water and sanitation is a global challenge—but could financial markets be the key to a sustainable solution?
This episode features Paul O’Connell, President of WaterEquity, and Gloria Mirrione, as they explore:
• How capital markets can drive water infrastructure investments
• The importance of sustainable finance in ensuring global water security
• The role of investors in tackling one of the world’s most pressing issues
Episode 4: Leadership in Sustainability Joins the C-Suite
Sustainability leadership is becoming a core component of corporate governance. In this episode, Paul Ellis speaks with:
• Chrissa Pagitsas, a strategic advisor and author on ESG & sustainability
• Gloria Mirrione, Acre’s Head of Sustainable Finance & Impact Investing
Together, they discuss how sustainability has moved from a niche concern to a boardroom priority, influencing corporate decision-making, risk management, and long-term business success.
Episode 5: Capital Meets Purpose in Community Economic Development
Financial inclusion is a critical part of sustainability. This episode explores how Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) are playing a crucial role in ESG-aligned investments.
Paul Ellis is joined by:
• John Holdsclaw IV (President & CEO, Rochdale Capital)
• Harold Pettigrew, Jr. (President & CEO, Opportunity Finance Network)
• Gloria Mirrione, Acre
They discuss how CDFIs are enabling economic growth, reducing wealth inequality, and driving impact investment strategies.
Episode 6: Ownership Works & Private Equity Join Forces for Employee Opportunities
Can shared ownership models create financial security for employees while driving better business outcomes?
In this final episode, Paul Ellis speaks with:
• Anna-Lisa Miller (Executive Director, Ownership Works)
• Gloria Mirrione, Acre
They explore how private equity firms and corporations are integrating ownership models to empower employees, improve productivity, and enhance financial well-being.
Why This Series Matters
The world of sustainable finance is rapidly evolving. Businesses and investors alike are facing increasing pressure to align financial strategies with ESG principles—and finding the right talent is crucial to making this transition a success.
At Acre, we understand that people drive impact. Our expertise in sustainable finance recruitment ensures that organisations can find and develop the leaders, strategists, and innovators needed to shape a more sustainable world.
👉 Listen to The Sustainable Finance Podcast and gain insights from industry leaders today.
This article is optimised for Acre’s website, providing a professional and engaging breakdown of the podcast series. Let me know if you’d like any refinements!
Financial ServicesNewsHSBC partners with sustainable farming charity for food supply chain resilience
HSBC UK has joined forces with LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) to launch an initiative to support farmers and help combat sustainability challenges in the sector.
The HSBC Sustainable Farming Pathway is a joint venture between the bank and the sustainable farming charity to encourage a smoother transition towards more sustainable farming practices, enabling eligible LEAF Marque certified farm businesses (or those in the process of applying for LEAF Marque certification) to access discounted loan arrangement fees when applying for applicable products.
The bank found that 70 per cent of UK farms are taking up DEFRA approved agri-environmental schemes, to support nature and biodiversity enhancements.
Approximately one third (38 per cent) of farmers are regularly testing the soil in their fields to inform NPK applications (the three major nutrients required by plants are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) while 28 per cent of dairy clients have undertaken a carbon audit.
Farmers have identified the areas of sustainability that they would like to invest in, such as renewables (54 per cent), slurry storage (22 per cent) and energy efficiency (20 per cent).
Grace O’Dwyer, Interim Head of Agricultural Banking at HSBC UK said: “We are delighted to launch the HSBC Sustainable Farming Pathway to help farming businesses transition to more sustainable techniques.
“HSBC UK is a significant lender to farms in the UK and our research shows around two-thirds (70 per cent) of farms are currently making commitments to transition to sustainable practices. By working with LEAF and future partners, we have the opportunity to directly support farmers who want to make sustainable choices.”
Canace Wong, Senior Recruitment Consultant (Professional Services) at Acre, said: “In the UK, many banks are seeing year-on-year growth on revenue in sustainable finance. The banking sector has a big part to play in unlocking sustainable practices, through providing capital to facilitate decarbonisation, nature and biodiversity, and social sustainability goals.”
“At Acre, we noticed that there is an uptake of opportunities in nature and biodiversity within the banking sector in 2024, with several banks recently hiring senior nature and biodiversity specialists, as well as amping up their nature and biodiversity teams.
“HSBC’s new partnership with LEAF is another example of latest financial schemes to support enhanced nature and biodiversity outcomes from the agricultural sector. We look forward to seeing more similar initiatives in the sector.”
If you are a financial institution and currently reviewing your talent needs for sustainable finance professionals, please get in touch with Acre.
Financial Services Jobs
ESG Practice Lead
Professional Services
London, Greater London, England
Hybrid
A dynamic and impact-driven organisation is seeking an experienced ESG Practice Lead to shape and grow its ESG advisory services.
This is a high-growth opportunity for a visionary leader to define strategy, lead client projects, and build a top-performing team.
Using your expertise, you will play a key role in helping organisations navigate ESG challenges, develop tailored sustainability strategies, and implement regulatory frameworks. You’ll collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, leveraging cutting-edge technology and data to drive transparency, accountability, and real-world impact.
Responsibilities:
• Define and lead the strategic direction of ESG consulting services, aligning with evolving industry trends and regulations
• Manage multiple client projects, offering expert guidance on ESG strategy, sustainability reporting, risk assessments, and regulatory compliance
• Build and mentor a high-performing team of consultants, fostering a culture of excellence and innovation
• Represent the organisation at industry events, strengthening its thought leadership and market presence
• Drive business growth by identifying opportunities, developing proposals, and expanding the ESG network
• Customise ESG solutions to client needs, ensuring alignment with their corporate vision and values
• Advise clients on ESG regulations, frameworks, and reporting standards, supporting sustainability disclosures
• Help clients measure and communicate the impact of their ESG initiatives and track progress against goals
• Integrate ESG principles, including diversity and inclusion, into investment and business strategies
• Continuously explore innovative ways to incorporate ESG principles with emerging technologies and data analytics
Person Specification:
• 8-10+ years of experience in ESG consulting, sustainability, or corporate social responsibility
• Strong expertise in global ESG frameworks, regulatory standards, and reporting requirements
• Proven ability to lead teams, drive strategy, and manage client relationships in a dynamic environment
If you are a highly skilled and experienced ESG professional looking to make a real impact, please get in touch and send your CV to Tiana Thomas at tiana.thomas@acre.com
Investor Relations Director
Financial Services
Paris, Île-de-France, France
On-Site
Are you a seasoned investor relations professional passionate about the energy transition who would like to pivot your career?
This is an opportunity to join a well-established and purpose-lead private equity investor with a range of investment funds that shape a more resilient sustainable future.
Our client, with an impressive AuM and a successful track record of over 20 years seeks an Investor Relations professional to join an IR team with a remarkable track record in capital-raising achievements.
Your primary responsibility will be increasing sales and business development initiatives, targeting institutional and semi-institutional investors with a coverage in the UK and Europe (countries of your preference), including a network of multipliers in North America and/or Asia Pacific.
This is an opportunity to contribute to the shaping and execution of the firm's capital-raising strategy for all its funds.
Desired experience and competencies
Our client is keen to welcome a new team colleague who is energised by working effectively in a team-oriented and inclusive environment.
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A self-driven investor relations professional with a track record of selling private markets products internationally, and advantageous is any experience in North America and Asia and/or a network of placement agents in these regions.
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Advantageous: Experience with Tier 1, 2 and 3 investors.
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Minimum of 8 years of relevant professional experience in investor relations/distribution in either private equity or infrastructure investing.
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Solid financial experience; a robust understanding of private equity fund structuring, terms, fund performance metrics, and portfolio financials.
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High level of self-motivation and results-driven approach.
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Central to the role is the ability to communicate effectively with investors and internal teams, in English. Additional languages are advantageous.
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Master's degree in finance, economics, or a related business field
This is an exciting and unique opportunity to leverage and further develop your commercial skills within a leading private equity firm committed to mobilizing capital towards sustainable and innovative solutions in the energy transition.
Does this sound interesting? Please apply directly or reach out to Lucy Chapman at lucy.chapman@acre.com
Finance Director
Financial Services
New York, New Jersey, United States
On-Site
Acre is partnered with Eden: People +Planet, a non-profit focused on large-scale reforestation projects, in their search for a Director of Finance.
At Eden: People + Planet, they believe in a future where both people and the environment thrive together. Their work is rooted in the understanding that human well-being is inseparable from the health of our planet. By restoring landscapes, protecting biodiversity, and empowering communities, they create sustainable solutions that address the urgent challenges of climate change.
As they grow their impact, they are seeking a Director of Finance to lead global financial operations and drive strategic financial stewardship. This role is a unique opportunity for a visionary finance leader to build and optimize financial systems that support Eden's mission across multiple countries and diverse funding streams.
What You'll Do:
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Lead with Purpose - Provide people-first leadership that fosters cross-cultural collaboration and financial excellence across our global operations.
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Shape Financial Strategy - Develop predictive financial models, oversee budgeting and forecasting, and guide key financial decisions to advance our mission.
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Drive Operational Excellence - Ensure robust financial management, compliance, and reporting across multiple international entities, aligning operations with global best practices.
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Innovate with Technology - Leverage financial platforms (NetSuite, QuickBooks, Concur) and AI-driven insights to enhance efficiency and decision-making.
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Mitigate Risk & Ensure Compliance - Implement risk management strategies and maintain strong internal controls to safeguard our assets and reputation.
Who You Are:
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A finance expert with 10+ years of progressive financial management experience, including senior leadership in international finance.
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A certified professional (CPA, CIA, or equivalent) with a deep understanding of multi-currency accounting and global financial systems.
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A strategic thinker who can translate complex financial concepts into actionable insights for diverse stakeholders.
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A collaborative leader with exceptional cultural sensitivity and the ability to build trust across international teams.
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A problem-solver who thrives in dynamic environments and is passionate about mission-driven work.
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Ability to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously, while leading the team to meet deadlines and objectives.
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Meticulous attention to detail, with a focus on accuracy and compliance, and the ability to identify errors, trends, and insights.
Why Join?
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Make a Global Impact - Your work will directly contribute to restoring ecosystems, supporting communities, and combating climate change.
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Lead with Innovation - Help shape the financial future of a fast-growing, mission-driven organization.
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Collaborate with Purpose - Work alongside passionate, talented professionals dedicated to building a better world.
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Enjoy a Flexible Work Environment - This is a remote role with the opportunity to travel internationally up to 10% of the time.
Legal authorization to live and work in the United States is a must.
Eden: People + Planet is an equal opportunity employer. Who are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills.
If you're ready to use your financial expertise to create lasting change, we want to hear from you! Apply today and be a part of Eden's mission to restore balance between people and the planet - reach out to Lewis Murray at lewis.murray@acre.com for more information
ESG Accounting Leader
Professional Services
New Jersey, United States
On-Site
Acre is seeking a Director, ESG Accounting & Internal Controls for a leading pharmaceutical company to drive ESG reporting, data governance, and internal controls. This role ensures the accuracy, integrity, and compliance of ESG disclosures while aligning with CSRD, SASB, GRI, and TCFD regulations. Reporting to the VP of Accounting, this position collaborates cross-functionally to strengthen ESG governance and financial transparency.
Description
The Director, ESG Accounting & Internal Controls will lead the development, implementation, and oversight of the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) accounting and internal control framework. This role requires analytical skills, flexible thinking, experience working with ambiguity, and judgment in determining materiality.
You will ensure the integrity of financial and non-financial ESG data, manage the ESG internal control environment, and drive regulatory compliance across ESG disclosures. This position will partner closely with cross-functional teams, including ESG, Finance, Legal, Investor Relations, and Operations, to support the effective management and control of ESG data and ensure compliance with current and future global regulations.
This position will play a critical role in overall ESG governance, ensuring a robust control environment and audit-readiness for ESG reporting. You will also drive continuous improvement of internal processes and systems to strengthen ESG data governance and reporting accuracy. This position reports directly to the Vice President, Accounting and has accountability to the Vice President, Environmental Social & Governance Programs & Reporting.
Essential Functions
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Develop, implement, and maintain an effective ESG internal control framework to ensure compliance with current and future global ESG reporting requirements.
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Ensure ESG data governance policies and procedures are rigorously followed across all ESG initiatives, ensuring the accuracy, completeness, and consistency of non-financial performance metrics.
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Lead and manage risk assessments for ESG data collection, focusing on risk mitigation and continuous improvement of controls related to ESG disclosures.
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Identify opportunities for process optimization and system enhancements to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of ESG data gathering, analysis, and reporting.
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Ensure adherence to mandatory ESG disclosures under current regulations (e.g., CSRD, SASB, GRI, TCFD) and monitor voluntary disclosures as applicable.
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Ensure the company is fully prepared for limited and reasonable assurance obligations, including overseeing the preparation, review, and gap closing for ESG audit requirements.
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Manage relationships with internal and external auditors, audit timeliness, and budgets. Prepare audit status materials for senior management and the Audit Committee.
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Foster a strong control mindset within the ESG team and across the broader organization, promoting a culture of transparency, compliance, and accountability in ESG data management.
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Act as a liaison between ESG, Finance, Audit, Legal, Investor Relations, Operations, and others to ensure the proper integration of ESG control requirements into key business processes.
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Provide subject matter expertise on ESG controls, governance, and regulatory requirements to internal teams and senior management, guiding the development and implementation of policies and procedures to enhance ESG data integrity.
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Partner with IT and data management teams to integrate ESG controls and reporting tools into broader financial and operational systems, enabling better data visualization, analysis, and decision-making.
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Collaborate with key stakeholders across the business, including ESG, Finance, Investor Relations, Legal, HR, and Operations, to align ESG controls with broader corporate governance objectives.
Required Education
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Bachelor's Degree (BA/BS) in Finance, Business Administration, Sustainability, Environmental Science, or a related field.
Experience
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10+ years in Audit, internal controls, or ESG data governance, with a deep understanding of ESG frameworks, non-financial reporting requirements, and audit processes.
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10+ years of experience working with ESG-related assurance engagements and limited assurance reviews, as well as coordinating with internal and external auditors.
Advanced Skills Required
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Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret complex ESG data, provide insights, and make recommendations for continuous improvement.
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Excellent communication skills, with the ability to convey complex ESG and regulatory information to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
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Leadership and relationship management skills, with a demonstrated ability to collaborate cross-functionally and influence senior stakeholders to align with ESG goals and regulatory compliance.
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Ability to manage ambiguity, prioritize tasks, and effectively lead cross-functional teams in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
Preferred Certifications
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CPA, CIA, CISA, or similar certifications.
For more information, please apply and get in touch with Anna Bene at anna.bene@acre.com
Agri-Food Portfolio Manager
Financial Services
Colombia
On-Site
Are you passionate about agri-food finance, impact investing, and portfolio strategy? Do you thrive in a dynamic, data-driven environment where you can contribute to strategic fund management, investment processes, and sustainability initiatives?
Acre is proud to be partnering with Incofin in their search for an Agri-Food Portfolio Officer to help drive our global agri-food investment strategy and ensure efficient execution, liquidity management, and impact reporting across regions and funds.
Your Role
As an Agri-Food Portfolio Officer, you will play a pivotal role in shaping and managing Incofin's agri-food investment pipeline across multiple regions. Your responsibilities will span from pipeline coordination and fund allocation to investment execution and monitoring, ensuring the seamless flow of investments while maintaining high data quality and fund liquidity.
You will act as the gatekeeper of our agro funds, overseeing Investment Committee (IC) documentation, reviewing eligibility criteria, and ensuring smooth coordination of decision-making processes. With a keen analytical mindset, you will contribute to portfolio reporting, market trend analysis, and impact/ESG data insights, helping to refine our impact frameworks such as the Climate Investment Lens and Biodiversity Lens.
In collaboration with IT and Operations, you will drive process improvements, automation, and dashboard optimization, ensuring that our investment and monitoring tools remain efficient and cutting-edge. Additionally, you will support fundraising efforts, provide expertise in due diligence (DDQ) processes, and contribute to strategic initiatives that enhance our agri-food debt expertise.
What You'll Bring
Incofin are looking for a strategic thinker with a strong financial and analytical background, extensive agri-food sector knowledge, and a passion for sustainable agriculture and impact investing. You will succeed in this role if you have:
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10+ years of experience in agri-food value chain finance, financial institutions, or financial services, with strong exposure to credit and financial risk assessment in agro-investments.
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A degree in economics, finance, accounting, or equivalent professional experience.
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Deep understanding of agri-food business, food security, climate change, and sustainable agriculture.
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Strong analytical skills, with the ability to visualize and communicate data clearly and effectively.
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Excellent presentation and communication skills-able to simplify complex data and craft compelling visuals.
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A team player with an inclusive mindset, capable of working autonomously while taking ownership of projects.
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Advanced IT skills, particularly MS Office, Excel, and Power BI, with knowledge of data management principles.
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The ability to thrive under pressure, manage strict deadlines, and solve problems proactively.
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Fluency in Spanish and English; French or other languages would be an advantage.
Why Join?
At Incofin, you will be part of a global impact investment firm that values innovation, sustainability, and excellence. This role offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of agri-food investments, work with cross-functional and technical projects, and contribute to a mission-driven organization making a real impact in emerging markets.
Are you ready to take on a high-impact role in agri-food finance? Apply now and become part of a team that drives meaningful change in sustainable agriculture and financial inclusion! Reach out to Alex Westacott at alex.westacott@acre.com for more information
Director - Capital Structuring & Partnerships
Financial Services
London, Greater London, England
Remote
Acre have partnered with a leading international NBS project developer who are looking for a commercial leader with deep expertise in climate finance and carbon markets to take ownership of a rapidly growing company's capital strategy and revenue model.
This is a high-impact leadership role where you will drive the financial success of large-scale nature-based solutions (NbS) projects-from securing project financing to monetizing carbon credits and establishing long-term institutional partnerships that will enable the expansion of high-quality carbon projects worldwide.
Why This Role?
This is a rare opportunity to lead the commercial function for a mission-driven, venture-backed company that is scaling real-world climate solutions. You'll work closely with the founding team, shaping the company's long-term strategy and directly influencing how nature-based projects are funded and brought to market.
What You'll Own & Deliver:
Project Financing (Immediate Priority)
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Secure capital for new and existing NbS projects through commercial financing, blended finance, DFIs, and other strategic funding mechanisms.
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Structure financing for multiple high-value carbon projects, ensuring alignment with investors.
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Lead negotiations with institutional investors, impact funds, DFIs, and banks to unlock the right capital mix.
Carbon Credit Monetization & Revenue Generation
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Develop and execute commercial strategies to secure buyers for carbon credits and other environmental assets.
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Close structured transactions that ensure quick revenue generation from carbon credit sales.
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Build a repeatable, scalable sales model shifting from one-off transactions to long-term offtake agreements.
Long-Term Capital Strategy & Institutional Partnerships
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Move beyond project-by-project financing to establish structured, long-term capital partnerships.
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Secure multi-year institutional funding from investors, impact funds, and blended finance players.
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Develop innovative capital structures that allow for staged investment while maintaining financial viability.
Who They're Looking For:
A seasoned commercial leader with a proven ability to close high-value transactions and deep knowledge of climate finance, carbon markets, and institutional fundraising.
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Extensive experience structuring and closing financing deals in carbon markets, private equity, or impact investing.
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Strong deal-making and negotiation skills, with a track record of securing financing for large-scale projects.
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Established relationships with institutional investors, DFIs, and carbon credit buyers.
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Understanding of carbon markets (voluntary & compliance) and experience structuring transactions in this space.
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Experience working across project finance, impact investment, and climate-focused funds.
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Ability to operate at both strategic and execution levels from shaping investment theses to closing transactions.
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Willingness to travel globally to secure deals and build partnerships.
Why Join?
As the company scales, this role presents significant career growth opportunities, including:
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Leading the build-out of a capital markets & partnerships team.
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Expanding into new geographies and investment structures.
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Playing a key leadership role in shaping the long-term commercial strategy.
This is a chance to make a tangible global impact, helping drive capital into high-quality nature-based solutions that regenerate ecosystems, benefit communities, and deliver resilient financial returns.
This is a remote-based role with travel. Europe or East Coast US preferred.
Interested?
If you're excited about leading commercial strategy in the climate and carbon markets space, reach out to Lewis Murray at lewis.murray@acre.com to learn more.
Market Analysis
At Acre, our deep expertise in sustainability sets us apart from other recruitment agencies. Clients and candidates alike trust us for our comprehensive insights into industry trends, talent demands, and emerging challenges. Our in-depth market knowledge allows us to provide strategic guidance and data-driven solutions, helping organisations and professionals navigate the evolving ESG landscape with confidence. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about this dynamic market.
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