David Pitt-Watson

Immediate Past Co-Chair Steering Committee

Mr Pitt-Watson has been involved with UNEP FI for many years, and became its Co-Chair in 2013. He is recognised globally as a leading thinker and practitioner in the field of responsible investment and business practice. As co-founder, and former CEO of Hermes Focus Funds and Equity Ownership Service, he built and led the largest responsible investment group of any institutional fund manager in the world. He is currently an Executive Fellow at the London Business School, is a board member of the International Corporate Governance Network, and was closely involved in the setting up of the UN’s Principles for Responsible Investment. He has been involved in policy making in the UK, Europe and around the world, particularly in the field of corporate governance and financial market regulation, and has written extensively on these subjects. His book, The New Capitalists, which summarises much of his thinking, has been influential around the world and translated into five languages. He is an independent non-executive at KPMG and an advisor to Aviva Investors. He is also Treasurer of Oxfam.