Fidelis appoints its first head of sustainability in ESG push

Fidelis has appointed its first head of sustainability, in a bid to push ESG efforts at the business and drive change in the insurance industry.

Fidelis has brought on board Victor Riega (pictured), who will work as the firm’s first head of sustainability.

Riega joined Fidelis in August from Standard Chartered, where he was a senior sustainability manager. Prior to that, he worked at Aviva, where he led its approach to human rights, corporate responsibility governance framework, and risk management. He has worked in insurance for nine years.

The new sustainability head also previously collaborated with Fidelis on its anti-slavery initiatives in working with Anti-Slavery International to promote the use of a force labour clause in marine cargo contracts.

Fidelis chair and group CEO Richard Brindle said: “As an industry, insurance is lagging behind others, including our own clients, on ESG.  We have considerable soft power which we should be using to raise issues and drive change. We need to have measurable milestones in the coming years, not decades, and work with our clients in achieving these targets. That is what we intend to do at Fidelis.”

Riega added: “I’m excited to be joining Fidelis at a time when it is aspiring to be a market leader for sustainability in insurance.

“Turning good intentions into concrete actions is a commitment I share with Fidelis, and I look forward to leading and collaborating on that across the whole scope of environmental and social issues.”

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