Coronavirus: a message from our leadership team

Saker is Chief Executive of HFML. He was appointed CEO in November 2011 having joined HFML in June 2009 as CIO. Prior to joining HFML, Saker was Global Head of Equities at Fortis Investments, having initially been appointed as Fortis CIO Global Equities in 2005. Before this he was CIO of Global Equities and Head of Marketing for SGAM UK. This role followed SGAM’s acquisition of Trust Company of the West (“TCW”), where Saker was a Managing Director, running global and international strategies, as well as managing TCW’s London office. He started his career at Mercury Asset Management in 1987.

Saker is the founder of the 300 Club, a group of leading CIOs and investment professionals who seek to challenge investment orthodoxy. He is a member of the CFA Institute’s Future of Finance Advisory Council, a member of the IIRC Council, and the FCA-PRA Climate Financial Risk Forum, as well as the United Nations Environmental Programme Financial Initiative Steering Committee. He sits on the Banking Standards Board (the “BSB”), which was created as a result of a Parliamentary enquiry to restore trust in the UK banking industry. In May 2020, Saker was appointed as a director of BSB (Global) Services Limited, a subsidiary of the BSB, and appointed Chairman, in November 2020. Saker also sits on UK National Advisory Board on Impact Investing.

At the 2020 Funds Europe Awards, in November, Saker was named as Funds Europe “European Personality of the Year”, in recognition for his "lifelong mission to bring ESG and Socially Responsible investing into the mainstream”. This followed on from being awarded a CBE in the New Year’s Honours List at the beginning of the year, which recognised his services to the development and promotion of Responsible Business and for contributions more broadly to the finance industry in the UK. In 2015, Saker was named CEO of the Year at the Global Investor Investment Excellence Awards and, in 2018, he was named CEO of the Year at the Financial News Asset Management Europe Awards.

Chris is Head of Real Estate & Private Markets and a member of the Executive Committee. Chris joined the international business of Federated Hermes in 2010, having successfully established Australian fund manager QIC’s European office in London. Prior to that, he was head of European Property at HSBC. Chris spent the majority of his career as a fund manager at Prudential, where he led the diversification of its UK real estate exposure into overseas markets in 2001.

Under his leadership, the Real Estate business has led a number of landmark real estate transactions, including the largest regeneration project in Europe at King’s Cross, the development of the iconic Silverstone circuit, the major regeneration at Paradise Circus Birmingham, and the rejuvenation of central Milton Keynes. Chris is currently the Chairman of MEPC, a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the senior non-executive director of NewRiver Retail Plc, a member of the Bank of England Commercial Property Committee and a Founding Board Member of INREV. As immediate past President of the British Property Federation, Chris has engaged actively with Central and Local Government to recognise the pivotal contribution that real estate and infrastructure make as conduits for growth and regeneration.

Chris is also the BTPS Director on the Argent Board and has taken a lead role in promoting responsible investment with major regeneration schemes at King’s Cross and Paradise Circus, Birmingham.

Chris holds a BSc (Hons) in Land Management from Reading University.

Eoin is Head of Investment and a member of the Executive Committee. Eoin also leads the Investment Office, which is responsible to clients for the investment teams’ consistent delivery of responsible, risk-adjusted performance and adherence to the processes which earned them their ‘kitemarks’.

Eoin joined the international business of Federated Hermes in January 2015 with almost 30 years’ investment experience. Eoin joined from GSA Capital Partners, where he was a fund manager. Before this, he was Chief Investment Officer at Old Mutual from 2004 to 2008 and also held senior positions at Callanish Capital Partners LLP and Northern Trust Global Investments. He began his career as a graduate trainee at Manufacturers Hanover Trust (now JPMorgan Chase) and subsequently performed senior portfolio manager roles at Wells Fargo Nikko Investment Advisors (now BlackRock), PanAgora Asset Management and First Quadrant. Eoin earned an MA (Hons) in Economics and Law from the University of Edinburgh and an MBA from Warwick Business School.

Eoin is a Freeman of the City of London, a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths, Master of the Guild of Investment Managers, and a Fellow of the RSA. He is a member of the Exmoor Search and Rescue team, a fully qualified Swift-water Rescue Technician, a Powerboat Rescue Operator and a Flood Water Incident Manager.

Harriet is Head of Business Development, a member of the Executive Committee (ExCo) and an Executive Board Director of the international business of Federated Hermes. Harriet is also a member of Federated Hermes’ Research Committee. She joined the firm in 2011 with responsibility for sales, client service, marketing, communications and product strategy. Under her leadership, we have built a fast-growing and profitable third-party business comprising many of the world’s leading institutional and wholesale investors. As a result, we now generate almost 80% of our revenues from external clients, compared with c.20% in 2011, and established a reputation as one of the leading integrated ESG investment brands in the world. As a member of ExCo, her responsibilities include development of corporate strategy and delivery of profitability. Appointed to the board of HFML in 2013, Harriet became the company’s first female executive director. Harriet chairs the Corporate Strategy Group, which develops the company’s organic and inorganic growth plans.

Harriet has more than 25 years’ experience in finance. In 1990 she joined the global trading team at Bankers Trust, initially trading currency options and subsequently holding senior derivatives sales roles in Paris, London and New York before joining Morgan Stanley’s fixed income group in 1996. In 2003, Harriet established Portico Advisors, an asset raising and marketing advisory firm for alternative investment managers, including hedge funds, private equity and real estate strategies, which she ran until joining the international business of Federated Hermes.

Harriet acts as a mentor to female executives at the company, encouraging them to fulfil their potential and providing practical insight and guidance on how to achieve success in the City. Harriet is a regular commentator in the print and broadcast media on business, economic and diversity issues and, for the last five years, has been recognised as one of the top 100 women in European finance by Financial News.

Harriet holds a BA in Architecture from Princeton University.

IIan Kennedy is Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff of the international business of Federated Hermes and a member of the Executive Committee (ExCo). Ian joined in 2015, taking responsibility for finance, IT, legal, HR, operations and facilities. As COO, Ian’s role is to ensure that we operate a best-in-class organisational infrastructure to support its clients, investment teams and business development activities. As a member of ExCo, his responsibilities include development of corporate strategy and delivery of profitability. In 2020, Ian also became Chief of Staff for the international business of Federated Hermes to support the Chief Executive in certain day-to-day responsibilities.

Ian entered the City in 1992, joining Prudential Bache Ltd, initially as European accountant and subsequently as regional risk and control manager. In 2002, Ian joined Dryden Wealth Management as Finance Director, joining Fortis in 2005 when they acquired the firm. Ian became COO for the UK wealth management and private banking division, ultimately acting as interim CEO and leading its sale to BNP Paribas in 2009-10, where he then became Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of BNP Paribas Wealth Management UK.

In 2012, Ian established InvestMe Financial Services LLC, one of the earliest firms in the UAE to be approved for investment advisory business activities by the Securities and Commodities Authority in Abu Dhabi. The firm was an active supporter of disadvantaged children in India, funding the creation of 11 schools in some of the poorest areas of the country.

Ian qualified as a chartered accountant with Arthur Andersen & Co and holds a BSc in Biochemistry from King's College London.