Melbourne Climate Futures is very pleased to announce the appointment of Simon O’Connor to Director of the Sustainable Finance Hub.
Simon brings immense expertise to the role with his extensive experience operating at the intersection of economics, finance and sustainability for over two decades.
As climate finance continues to exist at the centre of climate action and negotiations, his track record of driving the development of responsible investment and sustainable finance through roles across finance, corporate and not-for-profit sectors at an international level will be of enormous value to the future direction of the hub.
The Sustainable Finance Hub is a multidisciplinary initiative that aims to shape a financial system where capital flows to activities that benefit people and planet, on a scale and pace that aligns with critical global targets on climate change, nature and sustainable development. The Hub is an initiative of Melbourne Climate Futures, with affiliations across Melbourne Biodiversity Institute and the Faculty of Business and Economics.
As former CEO of the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA), Simon led a network of 500 organisations representing over US$30 trillion in assets for over a decade, advancing a more sustainable financial system across Australia and New Zealand.
Simon is non-executive director of Bank Australia, one of the largest mutual banks in Australia, a member of the Australian Minister for the Environment's Nature Finance Council as well as a non-executive director of Altiorem, a global public library and resource hub for sustainable finance. Simon was previously the inaugural Chair of the Australian Sustainable Finance Initiative, Chair of the Global Sustainable Investment Alliance, member of the National Advisory Board on Impact Investing in New Zealand and was an architect in the establishment of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.
As we move toward COP30 and beyond, we look forward to working with Simon to drive the Sustainable Finance Hub to even greater influence and impact, and warmly welcome him to the team.
