Christina Leal | Responsible Investment Analyst for Climate | RBC Brewin Dolphin
I am a seasoned equity analyst with over five years of experience, specializing in the energy sector at RBC Brewin Dolphin.
As the Responsible Investment Analyst for Climate, I focus on integrating climate risk into investment decisions and supporting responsible investment and stewardship initiatives. I hold a BSc in Physics from the United States Naval Academy and am a CFA charterholder. I am also a member of the Personal Finance Society, having spent two years in financial planning and holding the DipPFS (Diploma in Financial Planning). My passion for analysis comes from my love of applying mathematics to human behaviour, corporations, and industries—turning data into insights that drive meaningful investment decisions. Originally from Jamaica, I moved to London 12 years ago and became a British citizen three years ago. Alongside my career, I am a wife and a mother to three children (10, 8, and 2 years old). I am also an avid tennis player and love reading, sketching, and sewing. I am passionate about fostering diversity within finance, particularly increasing representation of ethnic minorities in senior leadership. As I continue to grow in my career, I aim to support and mentor others, helping to create a more inclusive industry while driving excellence in responsible investment.
Elena Koycheva | Sustainable Investment Specialist | Northern Trust Asset Management
Elena Koycheva, CFA, CAIA, CIPM is a Sustainable Investment Specialist at Northern Trust Asset Management where she works with UK and EMEA-based clients.
Prior to joining NTAM Elena worked at RBC BlueBay Asset Management as Head of ESG Client Experience where she focused on effectively articulating the firm’s responsible investment proposition with investors. Elena has previously held roles at Goldman Sachs Asset Management and Candriam Investors Group. Elena’s academic qualifications include a Summa Cum Laude Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a Concentration in Finance and Master’s degrees in Portfolio Management, Corporate Finance and Banking, Finance and Risk Management. Elena is a CFA charterholder, a CAIA charterholder, a CIPM designation holder and has obtained the IMC qualification, the CFA Certificate in ESG Investing, the Certificate in Climate and Investing and the Certificate in Impact Investing. Elena’s contribution to the investment management industry has been recognised as the winner of the “Unsung Hero” category in the Women in Investment Awards 2023, winner of the “Diversity and Inclusion Leader of the Year” Award 2020 by Funds Europe; she has also been featured in the HERoes Future Leaders lists. Elena is a member of the Board of CFA UK and leads its Sustainability Committee. She chairs the CAIA London chapter and is a member of the 100 Women in Finance MidCareer Committee and co-chairs the ESG Peer Advisory Group. Elena is also an Ambassador to the Diversity Project.
Amy Firkin | Audit Manager, ESG | Northern Trust
Amy has a passion for ESG within the financial services industry, particularly within internal auditing.
After graduating with a degree in Money, Banking and Finance from the University of Birmingham, she was randomly assigned an ESG role as part of her graduate scheme and that was where it all began, now she wouldn’t change her career in ESG for the world… Amy leverages her diverse experiences, implementing key ESG financial regulations, supporting the development of Net Zero strategies and enhancing ESG risk and control frameworks through creating an ESG audit approach. She currently works at Northern Trust as an Audit Manager, specialising in ESG and enjoys the evolving and diverse nature of the subject matter and role. In addition to her role she is very passionate about social mobility and volunteering her time to support others and charities close to her heart.
Sarah Collins | Head of Sustainability & Community Investment | TP ICAP
Sarah has worked in the ESG field for more than a decade across financial services, insurance, and logistics industries.
She began her career running major charity partnerships and volunteer programmes for large corporates, before transitioning towards broader sustainability and ESG roles. In that time, she has delivered strategic charitable and research partnerships, grown in-house ESG reporting capabilities, and lead on the development of net zero targets and transition plans. In her current role, as Head of Sustainability & Community Investment at inter-dealer broker TP ICAP, Sarah is responsible for strategy development and delivery, regulatory compliance, ESG reporting, and oversees the delivery of one of the City's most iconic and long-standing fundraising events, ICAP Charity Day.
Baylie Thompson | Senior Associate, Sustainable Finance | London Stock Exchange Group
Baylie is a senior associate in the Sustainable Finance Team in the Markets division at LSEG and acts as the Sustainable Finance Lead for the Fixed Income Asset Class.
This entails overseeing the management of the London Stock Exchange's Sustainable Bond Market, engaging with clients on key sustainability thematics and supporting issuers with sustainability disclosures. Baylie represents the Exchange in industry initiatives looking to accelerate finance towards global sustainability objectives, for example, the United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchange Initiative and the International Capital Markets Association Advisory Council. Baylie joined LSEG on the Graduate Programme in 2021 after graduating from King's College London where she studied Economics and Management.
Kiki Oyerinde | Associate Director ESG Client Experience | RBC BlueBay Asset Management
Kiki started her career as a commercial lawyer before moving into investment management as a legal counsel negotiating Operations & Management agreements within the power sector, with a focus on sustainable energy and infrastructure.
She has over a decade of experience, with a masters in International Law from Anglia Ruskin University and an MBA from the Schulich School of Business. For the past 5 years Kiki has helped investment teams across asset classes, develop strategies to integrate ESG materiality into the investment process. 18 months ago she moved to her firm’s client services department taking the knowledge and experience gained within investment teams to support institutional clients within the EMEA APAC region. Kiki plays a critical role in ensuring the investment experience of clients when it comes to their environmental, social and governance (ESG) requirements/references, is positive and engaging by informing on activities across the business, including investment and ESG support, product development, as well as other operational activities relevant to the management of client accounts in the context of the ESG framework. She plays an important role in presenting the firm’s capabilities in managing ESG strategies to clients and in developing, co-ordinating and implementing ESG investment aspects across client accounts. Kiki spends her time outside of work volunteering for initiatives around women empowerment and in the Pilates studio. She also enjoys travelling and exploring new cultures, having lived on 4 continents.
Saniye Oktem | BIM Consultant | Arup
I hold a bachelor’s degree in Civil and Geomatic Engineering and a master’s degree in Construction Management.
With a strong passion for digital transformation in the construction industry, I have dedicated my career to advancing Building Information Modeling (BIM) and emerging technologies. (BIM is a digital approach to creating, managing, and sharing building data for design, construction, and operation.) My professional journey began as a BIM Coordinator for Turkey’s first public metro project implemented with BIM, where I played a key role in integrating digital methodologies. I have since contributed to over 20 BIM projects of varying scales, working on complex, multidisciplinary designs. Currently, I serve as a BIM Consultant at a global design and engineering firm in the Netherlands, leveraging cutting-edge technologies to drive efficiency and innovation in major international projects. Beyond my technical expertise, I am deeply committed to knowledge-sharing and mentorship. I have spoken at over 30 industry events and serve as a Regional Lead for Turkey & Netherlands at Women in BIM, where I mentor and support young female professionals in industry. I also worked as a Steering Committee Member at buildingSMART Turkey, actively shaping BIM adoption strategies in the region. My achievements have been recognized internationally, including being named one of Autodesk’s 40 Under 40: Construction Champions of 2019 and a nominee for Innovator of the Year at the AEC Excellence Awards. Currently pursuing a Ph.D., I continue to bridge academia and industry, driving forward research on BIM implementation and its impact on the built environment.
Pratyusha Manukonda | Technology Delivery Lead | Barclays
As the Technology Delivery Lead for Sustainable Finance and Climate Risk, I am deeply committed to designing and implementing innovative business solutions that advance our firm.
As a computer science engineering graduate, my passion for technology drives me to continuously improve and learn new things, ensuring that we stay at the cutting edge of our industry. Throughout my career, my dedication and hard work have been recognized with various awards. I am honored to have received the Technology SPOT award for outstanding achievement, demonstrating my firm’s Values and Mindsets, and the Technology Game Changer award for the Climate Change Program at the WIT Tech Expo in 2022. These achievements culminated in being awarded the prestigious Women’s Bond Club Rising Star Award in 2023. I conducted workshops for elementary students on Sustainability Development Goals pertaining to Education and Climate change. I also volunteer and contribute to activities supporting GIRLS in STEM. I take pride in significant contributions to Women in Technology initiatives, through mentorship and active participation in creating a supportive and empowering community. I have mentored women colleagues in learning new technologies, and I also work diligently to help the firm recruit new talent, ensuring that we continue to foster a diverse and inclusive workforce. My work style emphasizes the ”Art of Possible” and going that extra mile to bridge the gap between technology and sustainable business, ensuring that we advance the firm’s ESG agenda.
Jasmina Negrini | BE Chief Operating Officer - VP | Barclays
Jasmina has a career in financial services spanning over 25 years. She has lived in five countries and travelled extensively developing strong cultural awareness and sensitiveness.
Jasmina is passionate about bringing DE&I and Sustainability together as she believes that achieving inclusion and creating a level playing field is an enabler to finding the many innovative and diverse solution needed to address climate change and the loss of nature and biodiversity. As a side of desk job, she chaired the Gender Network at J P Morgan pioneering intersectionality through collaboration and partnership across different diversity networks and is currently the London regional lead and co-chair of the London Environment Network at Barclays. Jasmina dedicates her spare time and expertise to business development programmes including mentoring of charities, helping social businesses addressing strategic challenges and coaching entrepreneurs tackling social and environmental challenges. Her passion for stewardship and her talent in finding scalable solutions were acknowledged in the 2021 ‘Micro Tyco for Leaders’ entrepreneurial challenge championing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals in recognition of designing and implementing an inclusive ‘Menopause Strategy’ that provides tools and resources for all colleagues. She is also a Board Trustee, a Climate Reality Leader, a Climate Safe Lending Fellow and a UN CSW 68 and 69 UK participant. Jasmina is focusing on mindset shift and system change to accelerate the transition to net 0 and considers gender equality a prerequisite and, specifically women, key leaders in significantly contributing to the solutions needed.
Sharon Oranekwu | Co-Founder | Emboldened
Sharon Oranekwu is a strategic ESG and corporate governance leader with a decade of experience driving compliance, and ethical leadership across multiple industries.
She has advised C-suite executives and board members on aligning with international sustainability frameworks, including CSRD, SFDR, and others, ensuring organisations meet evolving regulatory expectations. She is currently the co-founder of Emboldened, and has held a number of senior positions leading enterprise-wide sustainability transformations across energy, banking and mining, sectors across the EMEA region. Her work has improved ESG reporting efficiency by 45%, strengthened climate risk mitigation strategies, and positioned organisations for regulatory readiness. Beyond corporate governance, Sharon is deeply committed to empowering women in their careers and advancing ESG in organisations. As Founder of Corp N’ Femme, she has used her voice to empower women across the UK and has built an online community of 47,000+ women from around the world; providing advice, career development tools and resources, and strategic networking opportunities for women in corporate spaces. Her advocacy extends to education and community impact as a Non-Executive Director for the Fizi Community, where she integrates ESG principles into refugee education programs in Kenya. A recognised thought leader, speaker, and author, Sharon has contributed to publications on regulatory compliance, corporate governance, and sustainable leadership. She has worked with organisations like UK Power Networks, Barclays, and WIMBIZ, helping shape policy, compliance, and ethical governance practices. Sharon’s career is defined by a passion for a world where governance is not just a duty, but a graceful dance of ethics and leadership.