Actis expands RI team

UK-based emerging market specialist Actis has expanded its responsible investment team.

The firm has appointed Shami Nissan as a director in London. Nissan, who joined Actis this month, has more than 13 years’ experience in responsible investment, primarily serving the private equity and financial services sectors.

Nissan joins from PwC, where she was a member of its sustainability and climate change team. Prior to PwC, she led the London office of research firm Innovest Strategic Value Advisors, where she provided sustainability research and analytics to institutional investors and asset managers. She has also worked with the United Nations Development Programme in Central America.

Actis confirmed the appointment and said Nissan will “provide leadership” to Actis’ responsible investment team. She will work closely with portfolio companies and their management teams across the markets in which the firm operates, the firm added.

“Her experience will be highly valued at Actis, where our commitment to responsible investment runs right through the organization,” Paul Fletcher, executive chairman at Actis, said.

The firm has had an in-house responsible investment team since it spun out of development finance institution CDC in 2004.

Last February, Actis’ responsible investment team lost director and senior advisor Ritu Kuman, who left to become a director at CDC.

Actis is currently investing its fourth flagship buyout fund, a $1.7 billion vehicle that held a final close last October. It is also investing from its third energy fund, Actis Energy 3, which closed on $1.15 billion last December, above its $750 million target.