ESG and D&I Structure

SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE

Equistone recognised that a centralised forum to address sustainability across the firm is key to achieving best-in-class processes. In 2021, Equistone created a Sustainability Committee to consider, review and make ESG-related recommendations at GP and portfolio company level.

GP level

• Review and make recommendations to the Management Board regarding Equistone’s Responsible Investment policy and strategies
• ESG initiatives are identified and recommended to the Management Board by the Sustainability Committee
• Investment exclusions are placed at the Fund level
• Firm-wide ESG initiatives will be monitored by the Sustainability Committee which meets at least twice a year

Portfolio company level

• Develop and implement specific ESG objectives at portfolio company level
• ESG initiatives specific to exits will be monitored at the individual investment level by the investment team executives

The Sustainability Committee currently comprises Andrew Backen, Maximilian Göppert, Julie Lorin, Christiian Marriott and Steven Whitaker, with Michael Hachar as Alternate Investor Relations representative.

The committee is enhanced further by three dedicated ESG Managers in each local investment team to assist Equistone portfolio companies, where needed, to ensure that they have the appropriate resource to implement best-in-class ESG standards.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION COMMITTEE

At Equistone, we strongly believe in the value of diversity for both our key stakeholders and society at large and are therefore committed to enhancing diverse representation within our own operations, across our portfolio companies, and within the broader private capital space.

In 2020, we identified the need to codify our ongoing efforts to attract diverse talent and maintain an inclusive environment. We therefore established the Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Committee, which serves to:

• Review and make recommendations to the Management Board regarding Equistone’s D&I mission statement to ensure that it aligns with industry best practice, complies with relevant legal and regulatory requirements across all Equistone’s operating jurisdictions, and operates in the best interests of employees, investors, and the wider community.
• Routinely review both qualitative and quantitative data on D&I, staff satisfaction and engagement across the firm from the annual Guiding Principles survey and the ongoing monitoring of Equistone’s performance against the D&I mission statement.
• Promote local initiatives and share best practice.
• Provide recommendations to the Management Board on D&I training programmes to be undertaken across the firm.

The Diversity & Inclusion Committee currently comprises Jessica Clavette, Maëlle Deruaz, Katja Frühwein, Roman Hegglin, Dominic Geer, Julie Lorin, Sophia Nicol, Neha Saxena, Tim Swales and Diane Vignalou.

D&I MISSION STATEMENT

Our Equistone culture empowers all of us to connect, belong and grow.

» We treat our investors, business partners and team members with respect. We believe that having a diverse group of talented colleagues and a culture in which we all feel we belong, and in which all our voices are heard, creates the best conditions for us to succeed. «