Richard A. Fontes

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

ABOUT RICHARD A. FONTES

As an ESG/Sustainable Finance Product Developer, I conceptualize and bring to market innovative products and services that empower investment managers, banks, asset owners, and other financial markets stakeholders to mitigate ESG risks and identify and capture ESG opportunities. I believe that capital markets and financial services firms play a pivotal role in addressing the climate crisis and the pressing environmental and social justice concerns of the modern era.To achieve this vision, I focus on integrating ESG factors, frameworks, and standards into technology products and services such as:Investment analytics and decision-making toolsPerformance & attribution, compliance, and risk analysisRegulatory reporting solutions covering all the major ESG regulations including: ISSB/TCFD, TNFD, SFDR, UK SDR, EU (and other) Taxonomy and Fit-For-55, EBA Pillar Three, CSRD, US SEC, UK SDRESG data managementAccounting for Carbon and other environmental assets/marketsI also formulate new ways of integrating climate, transition, nature, and social considerations into business lines such as:Private marketsProxy voting and asset stewardshipArtificial intelligenceCorporate cash and treasury managementEmployee retirement plans (DB and DC)EXPERIENCE THAT ENABLES EFFECTIVE, ACTIONABLE, STRATEGIESI lean on my prior experiences in various analytical, consulting, and project management-oriented roles across my 15-year career in the financial services industry at some of the world’s most preeminent and complex firms like State Street, Wellington Management and Fidelity Investments to conceptualize, build, and commercialize products and services that are practical, scalable, and useful and devise (product) strategies that solve complex problems through a series of clear, coherent actions.ESG EDUCATION, RESEARCH & COMMUNITY LEADERSHIPMy MBA is from the Questrom School of Business at Boston University where I focused my studies on the integration of sustainability frameworks into capital markets and the implications of Impact Investing on environmental and social justice issues. While at Questrom I was a member of research teams engaged in studies examining the materiality of metrics used in impact investing and the proliferation of the Green Bond markets. I am a frequent lecturer on ESG topics at various academic institutions and conferences. I mentor several young ESG professionals. I’m currently the chair of CFA Society Boston\'s Sustainable Investing Taskforce where we fashion and orchestrate events focused on sustainable investing.