Pierpoint Financial Consulting co-founder Roy Zimmerhansl and Kenneth Gutwillig, owner of wealth management firm Financial Decisions are set to become the first members of Global PSSL’s college of advisors.
Global PSSL is the new environmental, social and governance (ESG)-focused venture led by Radek Stech, the former chair of the International Securities Lending Association’s (ISLA) Council for Sustainable Finance.
Stech launched Global PSSL as a not-for-profit community interest company in October to gain the autonomy to advance the adoption of his principles for sustainable securities lending initiative on a global scale without the bureaucracy or geographical limitations that he says hampered the council.
Zimmerhansl will serve as the first strategic advisor, in charge of global practice and outreach, while Gutwillig will be the executive director of the college of advisors.
Both are expected to assemble a team of advisors over the coming months.
In his latest progress report for his venture, Stech explains that “a fundamental component of Global PSSL is the tremendous value it draws from the collective wisdom of its participants” in order to “harness and channel expertise to the applicable workstreams”.
Stech says he was impressed with the contributions Zimmerhansl and Gutwillig made to the now-dissolved council, which was semi-autonomous from ISLA, and was the launching point for the mission to standardise ESG principles in global securities lending markets.
Zimmerhansl, who also brings experience as global head of securities lending for HSBC, among other senior industry roles, will fulfil his new responsibilities alongside his primary position managing Pierpoint’s securities finance consulting and educational business arms.
Stech notes that Zimmerhansl’s deep experience working with securities lending trade associations around the world, as well as the Bank of England Securities Lending and Repo Committee will all contribute to the new role.
“I am struck by Roy‘s highly proactive approach towards generating real impact within finance – never afraid to challenge the big players and ask the important questions,” Stech says.
Meanwhile, Stech stated that Gutwillig has “forged strong relationships with key stakeholders around the world”, including the Economic Club of New York and the Bretton Woods Committee, of which Stech is also a member, “so Global PSSL will benefit from his market reach as well”.
The creation of the college comes shortly after Securities Finance Times (SFT), formerly Securities Lending Times (SLT), became the first media outlet to gain official ‘media observer’ status.
Commenting on the agreement at the time, Stech said the new status, which came amid the digital magazine’s rebrand and expansion from SLT to SFT, “goes hand-in-hand with Global PSSL’ evolution”.
