Jim Whittington appointed as Head of Responsible Investment at Dimensional
Jim Whittington appointed as Head of Responsible Investment at Dimensional
Jim Whittington has been appointed as Head of Responsible Investment at Dimensional Fund Advisors. He replaces Joe Chi, who will retire at the end of the year. Additionally, the firm named Lacey Huebel as Head of Responsible Investment, North America. Both appointments are effective November 1.
Whittington brings valuable experience to the role, having served as a Senior Portfolio Manager and Vice President in the firm’s London Office, in addition to his work as a member of Dimensional’s Investment Stewardship Committee. For years, he has been on the front lines of Dimensional’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, working with clients, managing portfolios, and representing the firm with industry organizations.
Like Whittington, Huebel brings a wealth of knowledge to her new role, having managed the firm’s social and sustainable fixed income portfolios since their inception. She frequently represents Dimensional on ESG matters both with clients and at conferences. In addition to her new role, Huebel will continue to serve as Portfolio Manager and Vice President.
“These appointments will further our decades-long commitment to sustainability,” said Gerard O’Reilly, Co-CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Dimensional Fund Advisors.
“For nearly 20 years, we have managed robust commingled ESG investment solutions on behalf of clients. During that time, informed by the work of leading academics and climate scientists, we conducted extensive research into ESG considerations, developed a reliable approach to analyzing and integrating ESG data, built innovative strategies that take environmental and social considerations into account, and designed a systematic approach that enables effective stewardship activities for portfolios that hold thousands of companies. More recently, Dimensional was among the first in its industry to have its worldwide operations certified Climate Neutral by leading climate solutions provider South Pole. We are confident that Jim and Lacey will build on the strong foundation Joe helped establish here.”
Prior to joining Dimensional, Whittington served in a series of leadership roles in London and Hong Kong with various financial firms. He received a BA with honors from the University of Oxford and an MBA from China Europe International Business School.
Huebel previously worked on Dimensional's Investment Analytics and Data team managing fixed income reporting. She has two master’s degrees—an MS from Kansas State University and an MA from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She earned her BS from Texas State University, San Marcos.