BNP Paribas Real Estate UK has appointed Donna Rourke as its director of environmental, social and governance (ESG).
In this newly created role, Rourke will be responsible for driving strategy, integrating and embedding ESG into the firm's day-to-day business.
She will collaborate closely with senior leadership in commercial, residential and rural business lines, as well as with external industry partners, to set ambitious targets and achieve sustainable solutions, BNPRE said.
Etienne Prongué, CEO at BNP Paribas Real Estate UK commented: 'Donna’s appointment signals our desire to continue to build and deliver a competitive and compelling offering in this crucially important area.
'She will direct our engagement and effective stewardship to grow our distinctive leadership position, always with our clients’ best interests at our heart.
'Executing against our ESG efforts and creating a positive impact across our business is imperative to delivering value to our clients and Donna will be a critical partner in these efforts. I’m thrilled to welcome her to the firm as we continue to build our ESG platform.'
Rourke added: 'I was attracted to this role because we have a shared view that the real estate sector has a pivotal role to play in mitigating the impact of climate change and creating resilient communities.
'I’m really looking forward to joining the team at BNPPRE and using my experience to help to develop new ideas that will link ESG strategy, build business opportunities and inspire employees.'
Rourke joins from the University College of Estate Management, where she led the marketing communications and brand team and delivered strategic, innovation, sustainability and diversity projects.
Prior to this, she held leadership roles in commercial real estate, residential property and student accommodation firms. Outside of work, she is a founder member of the Global Responsible Futures Network and volunteers with the Youth Adventure Trust.
BNPPRE has been net-carbon neutral since 2017. The appointment follows four newly created positions in its property management team in the last few months.
The firm will continue to add new resources and capabilities across its commercial, residential and rural business lines as part of its roadmap to 2025.
