East Capital appoints Partner Karine Hirn, as Chief Sustainability Officer

East Capital, the emerging and frontier markets specialist, has announced that Karine Hirn will take on the position of Chief Sustainability Officer to spearhead the group’s established position as an active responsible investor.  

As Chief Sustainability Officer, Karine will oversee the ESG and sustainability work within the East Capital Group, including the continued full integration of ESG analysis into the firm’s investment process. In this new role, Karine will join the portfolio management team for East Capital Global Emerging Market Sustainable. She will build upon the existing ESG framework already in place for the group’s investment arms and coordinate new initiatives across the company. Karine will also be responsible for ensuring East Capital’s ongoing commitment to the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), which East Capital joined as signatory in 2012.

Karine has 25 years of experience in the investment industry and was a founding partner of East Capital in 1997 in Stockholm. Karine is currently based in Hong Kong as CEO of East Capital Asia Ltd and Chairperson to East Capital entities in Luxembourg. She is a French trade counsellor, Vice Chairman of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and board member of the European Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. She is fluent in French, English, Swedish, Russian and conversational in Mandarin Chinese and has lived in Asia since 2010.

Peter Elam Hakansson, Partner, Chairman and CIO said: “ESG has been a core feature of East Capital’s investment approach since the inception of the business in 1997. 22 years on, we have a well-established ESG framework covering engagement with companies, stock exchanges and authorities, as well as peers and associations within the industry.

“To have one of East Capital partners spearheading our efforts in the field of sustainability signals the strategic importance we as a group attach to the pursuit of the Agenda 2030. As a responsible investor, we need to contribute and make it happen.”

Contact information 

Ilze Johnston, Marketing Communications Manager, East Capital

+46 8 505 88 550 mediaenquiries@eastcapital.com

Andrew Fleming/ Georgie Rudkin, MHP Communications, Europe

+44 203 128 8100  eastcapital@mhpc.com

Judith Bence/ Vanessa Chong , MHP Communications, Asia

+61 415 903 849 eastcapital@mhpc.com

East Capital is an independent asset manager specialised in emerging and frontier markets, founded in Sweden in 1997, with offices in Dubai, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, Moscow, Oslo, Stockholm and Tallinn. The company manages EUR 2.9 billion in public and private equity funds, real estate funds and separate accounts, for a broad international client base, including leading institutions.

Our investment strategy is based on extensive company knowledge gained through proprietary fundamental analysis and frequent company meetings. We incorporate ESG-related risks and opportunities in our investment process, and favour companies with long-term, sustainable growth perspectives and responsible owners. www.eastcapital.com