Orchard Street Investment Management (‘Orchard Street’), the specialist commercial property investment manager, announces the appointment of Kathryn Barber as Head of Responsibility and ESG. Kathryn will be integral to building on Orchard Street’s strong credentials as a responsible investor and will support the business in delivering measurable social and environmental impact on behalf of its inaugural Impact Fund, Orchard Street Social and Environmental Impact Partnership, as well as continuing to integrate and manage ESG across existing client portfolios.

Kathryn joins from GPE, where she held the position of Sustainability Lead – Portfolio and Social Impact. During her time at GPE, Kathryn was responsible for co-delivering the company’s roadmap to net zero at portfolio level, pioneering the establishment of a Social Impact Strategy to integrate social impact initiatives across the business, and overseeing all mandatory and voluntary reporting obligations, including TCFD, Sustainability Data Report, GRESB and CDP. Kathryn has also held positions relating to environmental and responsible investment at Intu Properties, Prudential and Hammerson, bringing a broad wealth of expertise and over 10 years of real estate experience to the business.

Kathryn replaces Lora Brill, who has left Orchard Street to pursue a new opportunity but will continue to provide ESG expertise to the business within a consulting remit.

Barney Rowe, Partner at Orchard Street and Portfolio Manager for the Impact Fund, said: “Responsible and impactful investing is at the heart of what we do at Orchard Street, whether that’s through decarbonising existing buildings, investing in local communities or thinking about how we design or upgrade amenity-rich buildings to increase wellness and productivity. Kathryn’s entire career has been focused on driving the ESG agenda forward within the UK real estate industry, and her wealth of experience will be important to the growth of our Impact fund and the acceleration of our broader sustainability strategy.”

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Kathryn Barber, Head of Responsibility and ESG added: “Now, more than ever, it is imperative that industry leaders understand their role in pushing boundaries to deliver long-term responsible returns through a careful alignment of ESG risks and opportunities. Orchard Street is a market leader in this respect, with a strong track record of delivering both environmental and social impact, and I look forward to working in a team that is directly delivering a positive impact for investors and our shared global future .”