iA Financial Group announced that it is congratulating executive vice president and chief investment officer Alain Bergeron for being recognized as one of Canada’s top 50 Canadian leaders in sustainability as a winner of the Clean50 award.
The Clean50 awards are given to 50 people from across the business, academics, and government fields based on their accomplishments and contributions to a clean economy over the past two years.
"In the past few years, we've made significant advances in responsible investment and this recognition from Clean50 belongs to the whole iA team, from our youngest talents to the executive team and our Board of Directors," said Bergeron in a statement. "I am proud to be able to contribute, together with a great team of managers and investment professionals, to achieving our responsible investment ambitions, in order to deliver solid risk‑adjusted returns in the long run, and in the process, advance the importance of a clean economy."
Bergeron was named EVP and chief investment officer in July 2019. He joined iA Financial from Mackenzie Investments, where he was a senior vice president, managing the company’s asset allocation and portfolio management of $20 billion of multi-asset portfolios and liquid alternatives.
iA Financial noted that the Clean50 selection committee highlighted Bergeron’s contributions to creating sustainable investing opportunities. Bergeron currently has oversight and responsibility for the company’s investments - $100 billion as of July 2022 – with a commitment to adhere to the UN-supported Principles of Responsible Investment (PRI), a release said.
Under the commitment to the PRI and Bergeron’s leadership, iA said that it has managed to strengthen its sustainable stewardship across all investments at a rapid pace. The company also noted that in the last two years, iA has nearly doubled the number of SRI funds from 10 to 18.
It was also under Bergeron that iA Financial established the role of head of sustainable investing, tapping veteran Maggie Childe for the position. The company also formalized and published a Responsible Investment Policy and a Sustainability Bond Framework thanks to Bergeron and his colleagues, with the goal of enhancing the company’s capacity to finance its sustainable development strategy and increase its engagement with environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards.
iA Financial invested a total of $300 million of subordinated debentures in 2022, issued as the insurer’s first sustainable bonds.
