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BlackRock Hires Non-Profit, Venture Philanthropy Expert To Spearhead New Impact Investing Platform

Eliane Chavagnon Editor - Family Wealth Report 11 February 2015

BlackRock Hires Non-Profit, Venture Philanthropy Expert To Spearhead New Impact Investing Platform

BlackRock is unifying its social and environmental investment offerings by rolling out a new dedicated platform for this field.

Deborah Winshel has joined BlackRock as a managing director and global head of impact investing, charged with unifying the firm's approach to impact investing through the launch of BlackRock Impact – a global platform that caters to investors with social or environmental objectives.

In this arena, BlackRock offers: values-based investment strategies (which use screens to exclude certain securities), ESG strategies (which focus on investing in companies that display strong track records in the governance, social or environmental areas) and impact investment strategies (which peruse measurable societal or environmental outcomes alongside financial goals.)

Winshel, who was previously president and chief operating officer of The Robin Hood Foundation in New York, will also oversee BlackRock’s global corporate philanthropy program. Before that he was chief financial officer and chief administrative officer for the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Prior to working in the non-profit sector, Winshel spent over 12 years working in New York and London within JP Morgan’s investment bank.

Winshel will report jointly to Laurence Fink, chairman and chief executive of BlackRock, and Richard Kushel, senior managing director and chief product officer.

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