Wealth manager Helm Godfrey has appointed sustainable and responsible investment expert John Ditchfield as head of responsible investment, as it seeks to meet growing demand from clients for sustainable investment solutions.
Ditchfield will focus on developing the firm’s products, services and expertise in responsible investment, having built up vast experience of the sector.
He is co-chairman of the Ethical Investment Association, a networking organisation for advisers active in responsible investment, and former director of the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association. He also held the position of director at advice firm Barchester Green Investment.
Graham Cross, CEO, Helm Godfrey, described Ditchfield’s appointment as a demonstration of its commitment to developing a leading responsible investment offering.
Cross said: “At Helm, we want to be constantly improving our proposition for our advisers and with the current appetite for responsible investing we see this as an important market. Advisers and their clients want thorough information on ethical and sustainable funds and as such it is our duty to ensure we can deliver comprehensive research and support to help them with their financial planning.”
John Ditchfield, head of responsible investment, Helm Godfrey, added: “From baby boomers to millennials the interest in, and demand for, responsible investment is escalating fast. The market for responsible investment products and funds has expanded to accommodate the wide range of personal values that each individual investor will bring to the table. I will be working hard to combine my insights on responsible investment with the established expertise at Helm Godfrey. It’s an exciting combination and we believe we can develop a financial advisory offer at the forefront of the sustainable investment field.”
Helm Godfrey currently has around £45 million of assets under advice allocated to sustainability funds, having advised on ethical and sustainable strategies for over 10 years.
