M&G appoints Charlie Anniss as Manager of its Nature and Biodiversity Solutions Fund

London, 15 April 2025 - M&G Investments today announces the appointment of Charlie Anniss as Fund Manager of the M&G (Lux) Nature and Biodiversity Solutions Fund. Reporting to John William Olsen, who leads M&G’s Sustain & Impact Equity team, managing circa €5 billion¹, Charlie will support the growth of the Fund, which has recently broadened its impact objective to meet growing investor demand for nature and biodiversity focused strategies. Working within the wider M&G Sustainable & Impact Investing team and supported by the Fund’s Impact Lead, Head of Impact Strategy, Ben Constable-Maxwell, Charlie will bring his valuable knowledge of impact investing and biodiversity to the team’s in-depth investment discussions across M&G’s broader range of impact and sustainability equity funds.

Charlie joins M&G from Union Bancaire Privée (UBP), bringing over 20 years of management experience in equities investments. While at UBP, Charlie was Co-Head of Impact Investing, leading a team of analysts and portfolio managers focused on the monitoring, investment process and portfolio construction of developed market impact equity strategies; he also launched a biodiversity strategy and co-managed the positive impact global fund. Before joining UBP, Charlie spent the first 15 years of his career at M&G, including nine years as an equity fund manager.

The M&G (Lux) Nature & Biodiversity Solutions Fund looks to generate financial returns through a portfolio of fewer than 50 companies classified as ‘Pioneers’, ‘Enablers’ and ‘Leaders’. The companies are split into an investible universe of six main impact areas, allowing for greater diversification in terms of business type and maturity: clean energy; green technology; circular economy; clean and accessible water; agriculture and forestry, and sustainable food. The Fund applies M&G’s proprietary ‘Triple I’ Impact framework encompassing Investment, Intention and Impact to identify solution providers which are generating measurable positive outcomes. The strategy implements an impact engagement programme focused on supporting the impact of portfolio companies, providing challenge where needed, and developing improved impact measurement approaches to help us better evaluate the outcomes generated.

The Fund has been awarded the Febelfin ‘Towards Sustainability’ label, granted to products that meet Towards Sustainability Quality Standards for sustainable and socially responsible financial products and is categorised under Article 9 of the SFDR². The fund is available to institutional and wholesale investors in Europe, as well as professional investors across Asia.

John William Olsen, Head of Sustain & Impact Equity team at M&G Investments commented: “We are delighted to welcome Charlie back to M&G. His extensive experience in managing positive impact and biodiversity strategies will enhance our team’s deep sector knowledge. By strengthening the impact objective of the Nature and Biodiversity Solutions strategy, we can now offer our clients a more holistic approach to climate change and biodiversity preservation - while aiming to generate financial returns over the long-term.”

Charlie Anniss, Fund Manager at M&G Investments, said: “I’m thrilled to rejoin M&G and a leading team in the industry that has a tried and tested approach to impact equity investing, to deliver long-term returns for our clients.

The Global Biodiversity Framework estimates the biodiversity finance gap at $700 billion per year by 2030, which represents a significant opportunity for equity investors who have an essential role to play in shaping biodiversity outcomes and preventing future negative environmental, social and economic impacts. I am confident that through this enhanced fund proposition we will be able to play a role in creating lasting positive change, while helping our clients navigate the complexities of these critical concerns.”

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