Robeco, the Dutch finance firm, has received a huge mandate from a French pension fund. Robeco's Swiss unit, which specializes in sustainable investments, played an instrumental role in the deal.
The contract involves assets worth some five billion euros, assigned by Paris-based Le Fonds de Réserve pour les Retraites (FRR). Three asset managers each received a mandate to manage a part of the assets – Amundi, Candriam and Robeco/RobecoSAM, the fund said in a statement.
FRR didn't specify how much each of the three finance firms will manage. Robeco/RobecoSAM will however get a mandate to manage more than 1 billion euros. Formally, Rotterdam-based Robeco will contribute the quant-part of the investment strategy.
Investing Sustainably
The so-called ESG factors (environmental, social and governance) convinced the state-owned French fund to give Robeco a mandate. RobecoSAM, the Swiss division of Robeco, is contributing those factors, as a specialist in sustainable investments and creation of those asset strategies (environmental impact).
Aris Prepoudis (pictured above) in January 2017 has taken over the management of RobecoSAM, replacing Michael Baldinger, who joined UBS Asset Management in New York.
The Swiss financial market is trying to better sell the competence available in sustainable investments. Swiss Sustainable Finance is playing an instrumental role in this effort and will take heart from the reason why Robeco was awarded such an important mandate.
