Private Equity Firm I Squared Capital Hires Ben Harper as Head of Sustainability: 4 Things to Know

I Squared Capital, a global private equity firm focused on infrastructure, has hired Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners veteran Ben Harper as head of sustainability.

Here are four things to know about I Squared Capital's business, and Harper's executive experience.

1. Business Scope and Scale: I Squared Capital, founded in 2012, is based in Miami, Florida. The global investor, backed by roughly 300 employees, has $40 billion in investments under management. I Squared Capital typically invests in energy, utilities, transportation and telecom projects across Asia, Europe and the Americas, the firm said.

2. Sustainability Strategy: I Squared maintains a responsible investing policy. The guiding principles include these environment, social and governance (ESG) priorities:

Environment:

• Strive to minimize and mitigate the environmental impact of operations (including on
  biodiversity)
• Recognize and actively consider potential climate change risks and opportunities
• Strive to continually improve efficient use of natural resources

Social:

• Strive to ensure the well-being and safety of employees
• Cultivate a positive work environment that values human rights, diversity and inclusion
• Operate with leading health and safety practices

Governance:

• Uphold strong governance practices
• Operate to high ethical standards throughout business activities
• Maintain strong stakeholder relationships through transparency and active engagement

Still, we don't know if I Squared Capital has a net zero target date.

3. Executive Experience: Harper previously was managing director and head of ESG at Stonepeak, and head of corporate sustainability at Zurich North America Insurance. At Zurich, he developed the sustainability strategy, corporate social responsibility initiatives, and climate targets, I Squared said.

Moreover, Harper has contributed to public policy and industry best practices through his involvement with the White House Interagency CCS Task Force, the EU’s Zero Emission Platform (ZEP), and several advisory boards, I Squared added.

4. Executive Perspectives: In a prepared statement, I Squared Capital Chairman and Managing Partner Sadek Wahba said: “We are delighted to welcome Ben to I Squared Capital. As we continue to strengthen our capabilities in climate risk mitigation across our portfolio assets, we are confident that Ben’s expertise and leadership will further enhance our overall efforts to create long-term value for our stakeholders.”

Chief Sustainability Officers: Why Technology Partners Should Care

By 2027, 25% of Global 2000 companies will have assigned a chief sustainability officer (CSO) responsible for meeting their organization’s ESG goals and making ESG-related IT purchasing decisions, according to IDC.

The bottom line: Technology partners need to extend their sales, marketing, engagement and support strategies to successfully fulfill those CSO customer needs, Sustainable Tech Partner believes.