Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners, the leading investment firm operating at the forefront of the energy transition, announced that it has hired Hilkka Komulainen as its new Global Head of Sustainability and Impact. As Global Head of Sustainability and Impact, Komulainen will lead and guide the sustainability and impact activities across all of Quinbrook’s funds and regions, including North America, the UK, and Australia. She takes over from Anne Foster, who previously led the company, and this appointment underlines Quinbrook’s commitment to integrating sustainability and climate action into its investment strategies.
Quinbrook is highly known for its efforts in the renewable energy and decarbonization space. Quinbrook invests in projects that drive large-scale industrial change. The firm invests with a strong focus on creating measurable environmental and social outcomes by accelerating the global shift to low-carbon economies. With Komulainen now leading the charge for sustainability at Quinbrook, the firm aims to take its mission to the next level through embedding sustainability further across its portfolio and investments around the globe.
David Scaysbrook, co-founder and Managing Partner at Quinbrook, expressed his enthusiasm about Komulainen’s appointment, noting her impressive career and deep expertise in the fields of ESG, sustainability, and impact investing. “Quinbrook’s long-standing commitment to bringing the most innovative, authentic, and impactful solutions to advance the energy transition is fundamental to everything we do,” Scaysbrook said. “I have known Hilkka for over 10 years from her time at the UNPRI, and her extensive experience in ESG, sustainability, and impact investment make her an ideal and exciting addition to the Quinbrook team as we continue our efforts to deliver truly impactful investments that will drive large-scale industrial decarbonization outcomes for North America, the UK, and Australia.”
Komulainen comes from Aegon UK, one of the largest UK defined contribution pension providers, where she played a very influential role in forming the responsible investment strategy within the company. She was head of the responsible investment team at Aegon, overseeing climate-related initiatives and stewardship efforts, as well as leading on investments in energy transition. In addition, she was a member of Aegon’s investment leadership team, supporting the steering of the company’s broader investment strategy in alignment with its environmental and social goals.
Komulainen had a diverse career before joining Aegon UK. She worked in senior roles at several leading organizations in the sustainability and ESG sectors. She was the responsible investment strategy lead of Inter Fund Management, part of the Interogo Foundation/IKEA, and was involved in the integration of sustainability into the organization’s investment processes. Before joining Green Finance Institute, Komulainen worked at EY, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and then at the United Nations and with the Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI). At UNPRI, she built something significant-inherently groundbreaking-by creating a leading-edge C-suite advisory board that aimed to lead best practice in ESG for infrastructure investing.
Komulainen has over the years been a passionate voice for responsible and sustainable investment practices. Specifically, during her leadership at UNPRI, she influenced ESG standards universally across the world. This makes her expertise invaluable as Quinbrook deepens its impact-focused investment strategy.
In sustainability, Quinbrook is not new to this. The company has a track record of developing and managing renewable energy projects, such as wind and solar power, along with low-carbon infrastructure solutions. Through its investments, Quinbrook aims for robust financial returns while positively moving environmental and social outcomes, especially concerning industrial decarbonization, clean energy adoption, and sustainable infrastructure development.
Underpinning Quinbrook’s more general thrust on focusing on sustainability and impact, Komulainen’s appointment attests to the company’s intention to enrich its capabilities in ESG to make sustainability a part of the investments of the firm, thereby creating long-term value for investors as well as wider society. She will play a big role in making sure projects and portfolios at Quinbrook don’t only contribute to financial growth but also yield enormous returns in tackling the global climate crisis.
“Energy transition is not just about putting money into renewable technologies; it’s about creating a broader shift toward sustainable practices that can truly last,” said Komulainen. “I am thrilled to be joining Quinbrook at such an inflection point, as the company continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in the energy transition space.”. I am in line with the approach Quinbrook adopts in integrating sustainability into each step of the investment strategy. In such light, I will look forward to contributing to Quinbrook’s efforts at decarbonizing on a global scale.
Komulainen’s expertise and Quinbrook’s track record position them uniquely well to lead and continue driving change in further leading high-impact investments in renewable energy, industrial decarbonization, and the roll-out of sustainable infrastructure solutions across key markets, as the global energy transition hits full stride, with the private and public sectors committing substantial resources to sustainable solutions.
The leadership of Komulainen marks a critical milestone in Quinbrook’s continued evolution as a leader in responsible investment and energy transition. Guided by her, the firm is perfectly poised to enhance its ability to make a real difference in both financial and environmental landscapes for generations to come.