BlackRock announces the appointment of Deborah Winshel as a Managing Director and global head of impact investing. In her role, Ms. Winshel will help BlackRock unify its approach to impact investing through the launch of BlackRock Impact, a dedicated platform catering to investors with social or environmental objectives worldwide. Ms. Winshel will also be responsible for overseeing BlackRock’s Global Corporate Philanthropy program.
BlackRock Impact will work closely with the firm’s global investment teams and leverage its data and analytic capabilities to develop scalable, innovative investment solutions that also meet clients’ desired societal outcomes. BlackRock currently manages over $225 billion in strategies designed to align clients’ portfolios with their objectives and values, which will now be integrated under BlackRock Impact. Ms. Winshel joins the firm with a distinguished career in non-profit management and venture philanthropy, during which she took an active role in shaping charitable giving programs while defining and measuring successes based on the programs’ lasting effects.
“Today, many clients are looking for investment opportunities that advance social and financial goals at the same time. While the roots of this movement can be traced back many years, the frequency and complexity of these mandates are increasing. More and more, clients are looking to measure the returns on their investments both by the societal and financial outcomes they can help to create. With her experience at Robin Hood, and its focus on programs with measurable impacts, Deborah is the ideal choice to help BlackRock develop scalable impact investing offerings through both public and private markets,” said Laurence D. Fink, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock.
Currently BlackRock offers a number of investment strategies which incorporate environmental or social considerations, including:
- Values Based –Utilizes screens to exclude securities, aligning investors’ portfolios with their values. BlackRock currently manages more than $214 billion in Values Based mandates.
- ESG Consideration – Focuses on investing in companies that display strong track records in the governance, social or environmental areas. The firm recently launched the iShares MSCI ACWI Low Carbon Target ETF.
- Impact Investing – Pursues measurable societal or environmental outcomes alongside financial goals. To date we have participated in over $1 billion in client mandates for investing in Green Bonds. With over $1.5 billion of commitments and AUM, BlackRock’s renewable power investment platform is one of the largest in the world, offering clients compelling opportunities to meet their investment needs.