NZ Super appoints director of sustainable investments

NZ Super Fund has recruited from Cbus for the newly created role.

Chris Parks has been named director, sustainable investment at NZ Super Fund.

Parks will join from Cbus where he's been working in ESG portfolio integration. He's also previously worked as ESG manager at TelstraSuper, and as an ESG investment strategist at QSuper.

The fund said Parks is responsible for fostering cross-team collaboration to ensure sustainability considerations are fully integrated into all parts of the Guardians' investment process and leading the Guardians' stewardship activities.

NZ Super said it continues to hunt for a head of portfolio completion and head of private equity.

Parks' appointment comes after a judicial review found against NZ Super Fund, determining part of the fund's current sustainable investment policy was not compliant with legislative requirements.

The New Zealand High Court found the fund had failed to invest "in a manner consistent with avoiding prejudice to New Zealand's reputation as a responsible member of the world community" when it continued to invest in companies operating in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.