Press release

Eurosif appoints Victor van Hoorn as Executive Director

22 June 2020

Appointment to strengthen links between Eurosif members and EU Institutions for the successful implementation of the EU Action Plan, the European Green Deal and the renewed Sustainable Finance Strategy.

Brussels, 22 June 2020 - The Eurosif board today announces the appointment of Victor van Hoorn as the organisations new Executive Director. Victor will start his appointment with Eurosif in Brussels on 28th August 2020. Victor is joining from Hume Brophy in Brussels where he is currently the Head of Financial Services.

A graduate of Maastricht and Georgetown Universities, and Sciences Po in Paris, Victor is a lawyer admitted to the New York bar and the Amsterdam bar.

Victor joins following the strategic review carried out by Eurosif in 2019.  Victor will lead the implementation of its recommendations and strengthen the links between Eurosif’s members across Europe and the EU’s institutions to support the successful implementation of the EU Sustainable Finance Action Plan, the EU Green Deal and the Renewed Sustainable Finance Strategy that will be unveiled by the European Commission towards the end of the year.

The next three years will be challenging for the asset management industry and investors in implementing the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation, the EU Taxonomy, the EU Benchmarks Regulation and the EcoLabel, with the aim of further developing a vibrant European Sustainable and Responsible Investment (SRI) market.  Eurosif looks forward to acting as a bridge between EU policymakers, investors and member SIFs in making this a success story,

Victor van Hoorn said:

I am delighted to be joining Eurosif at a critical juncture for the European sustainable finance agenda where Eurosif has a unique role to play in promoting SRI/ESG investments across Europe, by being a bridge between European policymakers and the financial services industry. I look forward to working with the member SIFs and expanding the member firms’ membership of Eurosif.

Will Oulton, Chair of Eurosif, said:

The Board is delighted to have Victor join Eurosif at a pivotal moment in the development of both the organisation and for sustainable finance in Europe.  His expertise and knowledge of the European regulatory and policy agenda, and how it relates to the financial services industry, are experience and qualities that the board was specifically seeking in an Executive Director to lead Eurosif and deliver its strategy.  Eurosif is well placed to play an important role in the development of the European capital markets and in supporting the delivery of the EU’s ambitious plans.  We are looking forward to working with Victor as he builds an effective organisation helping its members navigate such an exciting and challenging agenda.

This appointment marks an important next phase for Eurosif. Having played a key role in the evolution of the Action Plan through its role on the European Commission’s High-Level Expert Group, and through feedback from its Sustainable Investment Forum (SIF) members, the organisation will now turn its attention to supporting its membership with implementation of the EU Action Plan.  All its members share the view that a carefully considered plan implemented rapidly and effectively will play a central role in both boosting sustainability and speeding up the economic recovery from Covid-19.

Commenting on the appointment:

Simon Howard, CEO of UKSIF said:

We are delighted to welcome Victor and to support Eurosif as the focus turns to “how” rather than “why” in sustainable finance in the EU. We will continue to work closely with Eurosif to link the efforts of the UK and EU to build a more sustainable global economy, and we look forward to Victor being part of that effort.

Volker Weber, Chairman of FNG (Germany), said:

The FNG is delighted that Victor, a proven specialist in the field of sustainable finance, is taking over the management of Eurosif. In doing so, Eurosif and affiliated national associations are documenting their willingness to actively support this transformation towards sustainable finance.

Grégoire Cousté, Délégué général of FIR (France) said:

We are delighted that Victor joins our SIF network to lead Eurosif in a new phase, open more widely to civil society and with the purpose of supporting the financing of assets that contribute to the EU’s and UN’s sustainability objectives through Europe’s financial market.
 

Francesco Bicciato, Secretary General of FFS (Italy) said:

The appointment of Victor comes at an historic phase in the EU. As sustainable finance is at the core of the Green Deal and of the post pandemic recovery strategy, Eurosif can play an important role to support the EU institutions by leveraging on the SIFs experience in the national SRI markets. We are sure that Victor will take on this challenge in the best way.

Contact: Charlene Cranny, Eurosif 

About Victor van Hoorn

Victor has been active as public affairs professional at Hume Brophy for the last 6,5 years, advising clients across the financial industry (asset owners, asset managers, brokers) on their engagement with EU policymakers. In recent years, a large part of his work focussed on the Sustainable Finance Action plan and what this means for investors and asset managers.

Prior to joining Hume Brophy, he worked for several years at a major Benelux law firm, advising clients in the investment and asset management industry on financial services legislation and corporate and securities law.

He holds an LL.M from Georgetown University Law School, for which he was awarded a Fulbright scholarship and a Netherlands America Foundation fellowship, an M.A. in International Economic Policy from Sciences Po Paris and an LL.M in European Law from Maastricht University. Victor is an attorney-at-law admitted to the New York Bar and the Netherlands Bar. He holds the Dutch and the French citizenship, and his working languages are Dutch, French and English. He also speaks German.

About Eurosif 

EUROSIF, is the leading pan European Sustainable and Responsible Investment membership association advocating for a more sustainable financial system and with membership drawn from over 500 organisations across Europe. www.eurosif.org

The Eurosif SRI Market Study is the key benchmark for measuring industry practice and progress across Europe.