LGT taps sustainable investing specialist

LGT Wealth Management has strengthened its sustainable investing capabilities with the appointment of former Wellington Management director Tessa Volkmer as head of sustainable investment, as demand for climate aware and impact focused portfolio strategies continues to grow among high-net-worth investors.

Volkmer joins from Australian Retirement Trust and brings experience across climate strategy, stewardship and impact investing spanning both public and private markets, prior to joining ART, she spent seven years at Wellington Management leading sustainable investment initiatives.

The firm also appointed former TelstraSuper Investment Management executive Arthur Bengasino as head of investment solutions.

The hires comes as wealth managers face growing demand from affluent families for institutional style portfolio construction, broader access to private markets and more tailored sustainability strategies.

LGT Wealth Management chief investment officer Scott Haslem said the appointments reinforced the firms focus on deepening its investment expertise across both traditional and alternative asset classes.

Bengasino joins after eight years at TelstraSuper Investment Management, most recently serving as head of opportunities and real assets. He brings experience across private markets, including co-investments, secondaries and alternative assets, and will work with clients on portfolio structuring and implementation.

Volkmer joins from Australian Retirement Trust following seven years at Wellington Management, where she was director of sustainable investment. Her appointment reflects increasing client demand for sustainability integration and climate aware portfolio strategies across public and private markets.

The appointments form parts of broader expansion at the firm, which also added two senior family advisory specialists as wealthy families increasingly seek support that combines investment management with governance and succession planning.

LGT Wealth Management chief executive Michael Chisholm said ultra-high-net-worth clients are no longer treating investment management, family governance and succession as separate conversations.

"Portfolios are becoming more sophisticated, with greater exposure to private markets, while families simultaneously navigate more demanding governance structures and intergenerational transitions," Chisholm said.

The business is wholly owned by the LGT Group, which is backed by the Princely Family of Liechtenstein.