Lettini brings over a decade of senior sustainable finance experience

US SIF: The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment announced today the appointment of Maria Lettini as Chief Executive Officer. Lettini will begin her tenure on May 15, 2023, succeeding Lisa Woll.

“Maria is the right candidate at the right time,” said Diederik Timmer, chair of US SIF’s board of directors. “Hiring such an experienced CEO reinforces the ambitions of our board and the organization. We are grateful she has chosen to focus her considerable talent on advancing US SIF’s mission.”

Lettini brings significant executive experience setting strategic direction and leading a sustainable investment organization. She served as the Executive Director of FAIRR, a global institutional investor network addressing the risks and opportunities within the global food system. Lettini joined FAIRR in 2016 and oversaw the growth of the organization to represent investor members with combined assets of over $70 trillion under management. There she was responsible for cultivating and growing membership, engaging and driving support, building coalitions and partnerships, producing research and achieving operational excellence. She expanded FAIRR’s impact across five key pillars: research, data, collaborative engagements, policy and investor outreach. She also served as the primary spokesperson and thought leader and was a sought-after presenter and facilitator at industry events bringing together diverse perspectives and voices to drive meaningful dialogues.

Additionally, Lettini served on the Sustainability Accounting Standard Board Standards Advisory Group and is a member of the Intentional Endowment Network’s (IEN) Steering Committee.

Prior to joining FAIRR, Lettini worked for PRI, the UN-supported Principles for Responsible Investment, where she cultivated and expanded the ESG community, managing the PRI’s signatory relations strategy and raising awareness of material ESG issues with institutional investors. Lettini started her career in global finance and capital markets, working at both J.P. Morgan and Deutsche Bank. She holds an MA (Distinction) in Environment, Politics and Globalization from King’s College London and a BA in International Business, Latin American Studies and Spanish from San Diego State University.

“US SIF has accomplished so much and is poised to accelerate its impact and accomplishments,” said Lettini. “This is an incredible opportunity to apply my experience from FAIRR and PRI to the US sustainable investment market and to help drive the mission and impact of US SIF to the next level.”

US SIF’s board formed a search committee and retained the services of executive recruitment specialist Korn Ferry to undertake the search process. The search was led by Kate Shattuck, Senior Client Partner, Global Financial Services and Co-Leader, Impact Investing and Becky Graham, Principal and Association Practice Leader. “We are proud to have supported the US SIF Board for their CEO search. The process was thorough, transparent and upheld the highest standards of professionalism and governance. US SIF’s stakeholders were highly engaged and supportive throughout the process,” shared Shattuck.

Former CEO Lisa Woll announced her intention to step down in September 2022 and completed her tenure in February. US SIF Managing Director Bryan McGannon will serve as acting CEO in the interim.

About US SIF and the US SIF Foundation

US SIF: The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment is the leading voice advancing sustainable investing across all asset classes. Its mission is to rapidly shift investment practices toward sustainability, focusing on long-term investment and the generation of positive social and environmental impacts. US SIF members include investment management and advisory firms, mutual fund companies, asset owners, data and research firms, financial planners and advisors, broker-dealers, banks, credit unions, community development financial institutions and non-profit associations.

US SIF is supported in its work by the US SIF Foundation, a 501(C)(3) organization that undertakes educational and research activities to advance the mission of US SIF, including offering trainings for advisors and other financial professionals on the Fundamentals of Sustainable and Impact Investment.

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