Green moves: Carbon Market Institute, JO Hambro

The Carbon Market Institute has farewelled its chief executive, while a Regnan analyst jumps to JO Hambro.

John Connor, chief executive of the Carbon Market Institute (CMI), has wrapped up six years there to take on a new role as head of policy and communications at the Net Zero Economy Authority.

In the new role, he will continue working on national climate and decarbonisation efforts.

Connor joined the independent member-based institute dedicated to leading the transition to net-zero emissions in 2019.

The institute said the outgoing chief executive played a significant role in shaping Australia's carbon and climate policy landscape.

"During his tenure, CMI has significantly expanded its reach, strengthened stakeholder engagement, and contributed to key policy developments," it said.

In an update, Connor reflected on his "eventful six years" saying it was a "good time" to step away and hand over the reins.

"There is more to do - there always is - but now is the right time for a change," he added.

CMI's director of corporate transition Kurt Winter will serve as the interim chief executive until a permanent replacement is found.

Connor highlighted several achievements during his time at CMI, including the legislating of net-zero commitments with bipartisan support and the establishment of a growing decarbonisation Safeguard investment signal for the industrial sector.

Significant, albeit unheralded, reforms to Australia's carbon crediting framework have also taken place, he went on to say.

"This framework, along with the climate action investments it supports, has shifted its key driver from an uncertain taxpayer base to businesses meeting both compliance and voluntary commitments," he added.

Connor conceded that these reforms are significant, hard-wrought, and not without challenges in implementation. "Tackling these challenges and building a scalable business ecosystem with investor and community confidence is central to the work ahead," he concluded

Before joining CMI, Connor spent over two years in Suva, directing the Secretariat that supported the Fijian government's presidency during international climate negotiations (COP23).

He previously led The Climate Institute and worked as campaigns director at Australian Conservation Foundation.

Today, CMI has around 150 member companies spanning the carbon value chain, including primary producers, carbon service providers, and emission-intensive companies.

Meanwhile, former Sydney-based ESG specialist Oshadee Siyaguna has taken on a new role at JO Hambro Capital Management.

Siyaguna has been appointed head of stewardship at the UK-based high-conviction active investment firm.

For the last 10 years, he worked at Perpetual-owned Regnan, as an ESG analyst responsible for stock-level assessment and research into big themes and issues.

A few months ago, he moved to London as Regnan's head of stewardship but departed after two months to join JO Hambro.

Before joining the responsible investor, Siyaguna worked at PolitEcon Research where he covered ESG integration with a focus on sustainable investing.

He has also interned at the UNEP Finance Initiative, providing support for sustainable supply chain and climate change adaptation projects.