Cristina Hastings Newsome will take on the role of head of sustainability at Westchester Group as it looks to meet rising investor demand for carbon-neutral portfolios and natural solutions to counter climate change.
“Cristina brings with her a wealth of experience that will be integral to support sustainability efforts across our farmland portfolio. We continue to evolve our approach to ESG to meet our commitment to drive positive change and client demand, and Cristina’s appointment is testament to this,” said chief executive Martin Davies.
Ms Hastings Newsome brings 18 years’ experience to the role and joins from the Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) in Switzerland where she was global sustainability lead. She has previously held roles at AstraZeneca, Proteus and Accenture. She will be based in London.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of agriculture to everyday societies, with food essential to a growing population,” Mr Davies said.
“The FAO estimate that $350 billion of investment is needed annually by agriculture and the supply chain to develop sustainable food production systems. With a limited land resource base and focus on more efficient resource use stable supply-demand dynamics for agricultural produce are critical for a sustainable future.”
