Helm Godfrey has appointed John Ditchfield as its new head of Responsible Investment.
Mr Ditchfield will be overseeing the firm’s plans to further develop its products and services in responsible investment sector. It has been advising on strategies in this area for over a decade, but is now aiming to enhance its research process and the level of support it can offer advisers.
Helm Godfrey is a UK-based, privately-owned firm of financial advisers and it currently has a significant allocation of sustainability funds with approximately has £45m of assets under advice that are subject to an ethical or sustainable mandate.
Mr Ditchfield is an established presence in the responsible and sustainable investment sector. Alongside his work as co-Chairman of the Ethical Investment Association, which is the UK’s main networking organisation for advisers active in the field of responsible investments, he is also a member of the Social Stock Exchange admissions panel. He has previously held director roles at the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association and Barchester Green Investment.
Graham Cross, CEO at Helm Godfrey, argued that the appointment of Mr Ditchfield highlighted the emphasis it was putting on responsible and sustainable investment solutions and that the firm was looking to keep up with client demands.
He said: “Appointing a highly-regarded expert like John is a clear demonstration of Helm Godfrey’s ambition to develop a leading responsible investment offering and is a broader reflection of client demand for sustainable investment solutions. At Helm Godfrey 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.”
Mr Ditchfield also spoke highly positively about his new role as head of Responsible Investment at Helm Godfrey.
He said: “I am hugely excited to be joining Helm Godfrey. 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.”
