Towers Watson expands SRI team to meet client demand

Emma Hunt joins the firm as a senior investment consultant. She previously worked for Mercer, where she was a principal heading up the firm's responsible investment and active ownership area in Europe.

Hunt will form Towers Watson's responsible investment views, working closely with the other 150 people involved in manager research to ensure socially responsible investment is an integral part of the firm's approach to researching investment managers globally.

She has 13 years of international SRI experience, including a five year spell at Mercer and four years with Friends Ivory and Sime heading up its SRI/ESG research function.

Towers Watson EMEA head of investment Paul Trickett described the hire as a "real coup".

He added: "More of our clients now have greater confidence that broad considerations - such as environmental, social and governance issues - are consistent with their requirement to act in the best financial interests of members. As a result there is a lot more demand for advice in this area."