Toronto-based clean capitalism media company closes investment round to launch capital markets division
Nov 16th, 2011 9:51 AM
Press Release
TORONTO, November 16, 2011 - Corporate Knights Inc, Toronto-based publisher of Corporate Knights magazine, which is distributed as a quarterly insert in the
Globe and Mail and
Washington Post, announced this morning at the Toronto Stock Exchange market open that it closed an investment round with a prestigious group of investors, led by Vancity Community Capital.
This private investment will allow Corporate Knights Inc. to launch a new division, Corporate Knights Capital, which will leverage Corporate Knights rankings to create a global suite of clean capitalism- themed passive investment products tailored to meet large investor needs.
Corporate Knights will be underpinning its expansion with a team of executives with deep industry experience, including Tyler Hamilton (Editor-in-Chief, Corporate Knights Inc.), Doug Morrow (Vice President, Research, Corporate Knights Capital), Susan McLean (Senior Advisor, Corporate Knights Capital), Dianne Hadad (Chief Marketing Officer, Corporate Knights Inc.), and Nicholas Parker (Chairman, Corporate Knights Inc.). Corporate Knights Inc. co-founder, Toby Heaps, will move into the role as CEO of Corporate Knights Inc.
Executive Additions to Corporate Knights (Biographies):
Nicholas Parker is Chairman of Corporate Knights Inc. He is also the co-founder and chairman of the Cleantech Group - the market-leading research company that introduced the cleantech concept to the investment and business community in 2002, The Blue Economy Initiative, and the WaterTAP Corporation. Nicholas sits on several boards, including the Government of Singapore Energy and Cleantech Advisory Panel, the Canadian Centre of Excellence for Commercialization of Research, along with Parker Venture Management, his private investment and advisory business. Previously, Nicholas accumulated over 15 years experience starting and investing venture funds worldwide through limited partnerships, family offices, corporate funds and endowments. During this time, he pioneered the first "sustainability" driven private equity funds and participated in one of the first solar IPOs. In the 1990s, he also founded, built and sold an environmental finance firm. He’s advised economic development agencies, major corporations and institutional investors, spoken at most major industry events and been quoted by the leading media publications. Nicholas has authored or edited more than ten publications related to cleantech, finance and international business, starting with Investing in Emerging Economies in 1993. From 2003-08, he was Chairman of E+Co, the award-winning investment company for clean energy enterprises in developing countries. Nicholas earned an Honours BA in Technology Studies (Carleton University, Ottawa), an MBA (City University, London), and is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA). He has lived and worked in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America, while currently residing in Toronto.
Tyler Hamilton is the Editor-in-Chief of Corporate Knights Inc. since the fall of 2011. He remains a business columnist for the Toronto Star, where he writes a weekly column called Clean Break that discusses trends, happenings and innovators in the clean technology and green energy market. Hamilton joined the Toronto Star in July 2000 as its senior technology and telecommunications reporter, later becoming energy reporter in 2006. Prior to the Star, he spent two years as technology reporter at Canada's national newspaper, the Globe and Mail. He is also the author of the clean energy staple blog, "Clean Break", which he started in 2005. He has an Honours BA in political science and legal philosophy from the University of Toronto, and a Masters of Journalism from Carleton University. In 2010 he received the award for Excellence in Science and Technology Reporting from the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance, the largest technology trade association in Canada. The same year he was appointed adjunct professor in the faculty of environmental studies at Toronto's York University.
Doug Morrow has seven years of experience in the sustainable investment research industry. Before joining Corporate Knights Capital as Vice President, Research in 2011, he worked for three years at ICF International, where he consulted for the International Finance Corporation, the Inter-American Development Bank and large private equity firms under the rubric of sustainable investment management. He has served as lead author of the Global FT500 Carbon Disclosure Project, and has worked with several institutional investors integrating sustainability metrics into investment decision-making. He holds an MBA from the Rotman School of Management and a Master of Arts Degree in International Relations and Economics from the Munk School of Global Affairs.
Susan McLean has more than 15 years experience in the capital markets and emerging technologies fields. Before joining Corporate Knights Capital as a Senior Advisor in 2011, she held management roles at both the TSX and Sustainable Development Technology Canada. While at the TSX she initiated both an ETF listing focus and later a Cleantech Sector listing focus. TSX has gone on to be one of the most active exchanges globally in both these sectors.
Dianne Hadad is the Chief Marketing Officer of Corporate Knights Inc., where she leads marketing and events functions, with a key focus on building out the Corporate Knights brand in international markets. Prior to joining Corporate Knights in 2011, she developed and managed strategic and tactical marketing solutions for the wholesale division of the Scotiabank Group. With over 15 years experience, Dianne has held a succession of roles at Princess Cruises, Brunico Communications, and Scotia Capital. Dianne has a BComm from Ryerson University.
For further information contact:
Don Huff, Environmental Communication Options, 416-972-7401,
huffd@ecostrategy.ca or
Toby A.A. Heaps, Chief Executive, Corporate Knights Inc., 416-274-1432,
toby@corporateknights.ca
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About Corporate Knights
Founded in 2002, Corporate Knights Inc. is an independent Canadian-based media and financial products company focused on clean capitalism.
