AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) has announced the appointment of four external members to the advisory committee of its recently launched AXA IM Investment Institute.
The new members of the committee include Olivier Blanchard, an emeritus professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Mr Blanchard will advise on macroeconomics.
Nigel Topping, a policy adviser and former Climate Champion for COP26, will be advising on climate.
Moreover, Marie-Christine Korniloff and Nicolas Loz De Coetgourhang come from the World Wildlife Fund in France, as director of corporate engagement and head of sustainable business practices, respectively. They will both advise on nature and biodiversity.
Commenting on the appointments, chair of the institute and CIO of AXA IM core, Chris Iggo, said: “The new members of the committee will bring renowned expertise to help shape our ways of thinking so we can cut through today’s complexities and ensure we’re ahead of future challenges and opportunities for the benefit of investors.”
“Quality research and analysis has always been fundamental to AXA IM. With geopolitical uncertainty, an inflationary environment, and recessions likely, it is essential now, more than ever, for clients and our portfolio managers investing client money to access expert views,” Mr Iggo concluded.
The AXA IM Investment Institute seeks to provide clients and portfolio managers with access to insights on short and long-term trends affecting the global macroeconomic and investment outlook, including sustainability, demographics, technology, and regulations.
At its initial conception in June 2022, the institute expected to invite external experts to incorporate a diversity of opinions for clients.
“Bringing our expert views together under the AXA IM Investment Institute allows not only clients but anyone to access the broadest possible perspectives from across AXA IM’s research and investment teams, to help guide decisions they make for their portfolios,” executive chairman at AXA Investment Managers, Marco Morelli, explained at the time of its launch.
The external members of the institute will complement the research of AXA IM’s experts by attending the advisory committee bi-annually to discuss key macro and research themes to be covered by the institute.