Impax Asset Management hires Byrne and Bidault for Listed Equities

By Daniel Okafor

Impax Asset Management made two senior appointments to its Listed Equities team, with Paul Byrne and Sebastien Bidault both based in London.

What roles will Byrne and Bidault hold?

Byrne joins Impax as Head of Portfolio Advisory, Systematic Investments. Impax said he will lead portfolio risk advisory within the firm's fundamental equities investment process. He will also serve as a Portfolio Manager for the firm's growing systematic equities strategies.

Bidault joins as Director, Associate Portfolio Manager and Global Technology Analyst. Impax said he will focus on technology research and provide portfolio management support for the firm's environmental markets equity strategies, including its Leaders strategy.

Charles French, chief investment officer of listed equities at Impax Asset Management, said: “Paul and Sebastien bring highly complementary expertise to our Listed Equities team.”

What does Byrne bring to Impax?

Byrne comes from BNY Investments Newton, where he spent more than 15 years working across quantitative research, portfolio construction, investment risk management and portfolio management. Impax said he was most recently responsible for quantitative research and portfolio construction. He also managed thematic, multi-asset and small-cap investment strategies.

Byrne previously spent eight years as an Investment Risk Manager at Newton. Impax said his new remit covers portfolio risk advisory within the fundamental equities investment process. He will also serve as a Portfolio Manager for Impax's growing systematic equities strategies.

His background gives Impax experience across the chain from research and portfolio construction to investment risk management. The new role links those functions to both fundamental and systematic equities work.

Byrne, Head of Portfolio Advisory, Systematic Investments at Impax Asset Management, said: “I am excited to bring my experience in quantitative research, portfolio management and risk management to the team.”

What does Bidault add to environmental markets?

Bidault joins from Redwheel, where he served as Co-Portfolio Manager of the Redwheel Biodiversity and Redwheel Clean Economy funds. Impax said he brings more than 20 years of global equity investment and research experience, with particular expertise in environmental markets and technology.

Before Redwheel, Bidault spent seven years as a Portfolio Manager at Tesco Pension Investment. Impax said he helped manage a £5 billion global equities mandate. His earlier investment and equity research experience includes roles at JO Hambro Capital Management, Société Générale and HSBC.

At Impax, Bidault will concentrate on technology research. He will also provide portfolio management support for the firm's environmental markets equity strategies. Impax said those mandates include its Leaders strategy.

Bidault, Director, Associate Portfolio Manager and Global Technology Analyst at Impax Asset Management, said: “Impax has a very strong reputation, particularly within environmental markets.”

How does Impax fit the expansion?

Impax said the appointments strengthen both its systematic investing capabilities and its fundamental environmental markets investment platform. The company also described the moves as part of its continuing expansion of the Listed Equities team.

The two hires sit in distinct workstreams. Byrne covers portfolio risk advisory and systematic equities portfolio management. Bidault covers technology research and environmental markets portfolio support. The split mirrors the two capabilities Impax cited: systematic investing and its fundamental environmental markets investment platform.

For investors, the proof will come in portfolio decisions as Impax applies the added risk and research coverage to its systematic equities strategies and environmental markets mandates, including the Leaders strategy.