BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Loomis, Sayles & Company announced today that Kathleen Bochman has been appointed director of ESG (environmental, social and governance). In this newly established role, Kathleen is responsible for continuing to increase awareness of ESG principles among Loomis Sayles investment teams and partnering with teams to identify how ESG considerations may be further incorporated into their unique investment processes. Kathleen will report to David Waldman, deputy chief investment officer.

Kathleen will lead the existing Loomis Sayles ESG Committee to provide strategic support to investment teams, conduct internal education and serve as a thought leader for the firm on material sustainability issues. In addition, Kathleen will partner with investment teams in identifying areas of engagement with companies in which they invest.

“Providing superior long-term performance is at the heart of every Loomis Sayles investment strategy, and we understand the important role that ESG issues play in the global economy, financial markets and society,” said Kevin Charleston, chief executive officer. “We recognize the importance of conducting ourselves as responsible global citizens, and Kathleen’s new role further affirms our commitment to ESG considerations and their inherent role as part of our investment processes.”

Loomis Sayles senior management initiated a company-wide effort to further integrate ESG considerations into every team’s investment process in 2013. Loomis Sayles became a signatory to the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) initiative in 2015 and is a Tier 1 signatory to the UK Stewardship Code.

“It is our job as leaders of the firm to ensure investment teams have access to all available macro, fundamental and quantitative research insights,” said Jae Park, chief investment officer. “We believe that ESG data is another vital tool that can be leveraged by our portfolio managers as they seek to deliver consistent, competitive returns for our clients.”

For more information on Loomis Sayles’ approach to ESG issues, please click here.

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: KATHLEEN M. BOCHMAN, CFA

Kathleen Bochman is director of ESG at Loomis, Sayles & Company and co-portfolio manager of the large cap core product. She has 29 years of investment industry experience and joined Loomis Sayles in 2006 as global equity analyst covering the financial sector. Kathleen began her career as a consultant for Andersen Consulting, specializing in systems consulting for financial clients. Next, she moved to State Street Research & Management where she was a fixed income credit analyst, and later was named head of investment grade credit research for the firm. Kathleen then joined the Wellington Management Company as a fixed income credit analyst. Kathleen earned a BA from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Columbia University.

ABOUT LOOMIS SAYLES
Since 1926, Loomis, Sayles & Company has helped fulfill the investment needs of institutional and mutual fund clients worldwide. The firm’s performance-driven investors integrate deep proprietary research and integrated risk analysis to make informed, judicious decisions. Teams of portfolio managers, strategists, research analysts and traders collaborate to assess market sectors and identify investment opportunities wherever they may lie, within traditional asset classes or among a range of alternative investments. Loomis Sayles has the resources, foresight and the flexibility to look far and wide for value in broad and narrow markets in its commitment to deliver attractive sustainable returns for clients. This rich tradition has earned Loomis Sayles the trust and respect of clients worldwide, for whom it manages $266.6 billion* in assets (as of March 31, 2018).

*Includes the assets of Loomis, Sayles & Co., LP, and Loomis Sayles Trust Company, LLC. Loomis Sayles Trust Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of LP.

ABOUT NATIXIS INVESTMENT MANAGERS

Natixis Investment Managers serves financial professionals with more insightful ways to construct portfolios. Powered by the expertise of 26 specialized investment managers globally, we apply Active ThinkingSM to deliver proactive solutions that help clients pursue better outcomes in all markets. Natixis ranks among the world’s largest asset management firms1 (€830.8 billion / $997.8 billion AUM2).