Danske Bank expands ESG organization with new Head of SRI Bond Marketing

In his new position, Bo Søndergaard will ensure a closer dialogue with investors about sustainable investments.

As part of Danske Bank’s increased focus on Environmental, Social and Government factors (ESG) and the green bond investment area, Bo Søndergaard has taken up the new position as Head of SRI (Socially Responsibly Investments) Bond Marketing in DCM Syndicate.

Starting February 11, Bo Holm Søndergaard will report to Morten Grove, Global Head of DCM Syndicate.

Improved investor relations and dialogue
In his new position, Bo Holm Søndergaard will ensure an even better investor dialogue concerning ESG, and enhance coordination and alignment within DCM and amongst the various entities in the Danske Bank Group.  

 “An increasing amount of funds are being allocated to the ESG and green bond investment area across the Nordics and Europe. My role is to be in close contact with our customers and build on the strong platform already in place in Danske Bank, so we can give even better advise to our investors and issuers in regard to sustainable investments,” says Bo Søndergaard.

“More and more investors and issuers are starting to have their framework in place, which will likely result in more green bonds in 2019,” he says. 

Green bonds on the rise
For long, Sweden has been in the lead, when it comes to sustainable investments, but the interest is growing rapidly in the rest of the Nordics and elsewhere.

“The focus on green bonds and other sustainable investments is increasing at full speed. As an example, ATP has about $1.4 billion invested in green bonds at present, and other Danish investors are following suit. As the climate focus is also increasing every day, SRI investments are gaining momentum, and with the new position we will be even better positioned to take part of this development,” says Derry Hubbard, Senior Vice President, Global Head of Debt Capital Markets.

He continues:“ With his skills and experience, Bo will be well-positioned to successfully bridge the gap between the issuer and investor community, and prove Danske Bank’s expertise in terms of aligning issuance and investment framework in this sector.”