Munich — The Riverside Company, a global private equity firm that invests in small and medium-sized companies, has appointed Dörte Höppner (photo) to the newly created position of Chief Sustainability Officer. She will lead and drive ESG initiatives at Riverside globally. Dörte Höppner, who joined Riverside in 2017, will continue to be based in Europe and report directly to Riverside’s co-CEOs, Stewart Kohl and Béla Szigethy.
“Creating this position is the next logical step for us, and Dörte is the perfect person for the job,” said Riverside Co-CEO Béla Szigethy. “She has been at the forefront of our firm’s ESG initiatives for some time and is recognized in the private equity community for her deep understanding and commitment to ESG and all its dimensions. This appointment reflects the great work she has done on ESG in Europe.”
In her new role, Dörte will identify and drive ESG initiatives and integrate them into Riverside’s various fund areas. In doing so, it will work closely with the managing partners of the individual funds.
“Diversity and inclusion, environmental responsibility and high standards of corporate governance have rightly become core business issues in recent years,” says Riverside co-CEO Stewart Kohl. “Professional investors expect private equity firms to have good ESG practices, and we in turn expect this from our portfolio companies.”
Dörte will retain her leadership role in fundraising and investor relations for Riverside in Europe, in addition to her expanded ESG responsibilities, and will continue to serve as the primary European investor contact for the global Riverside company. She has been promoted to Managing Director, Fundraising & IR.
“I have great respect for these tasks, but at the same time I am highly motivated,” Höppner said. “As a company, we want to be a beacon for responsible ESG practice, and I look forward to working with my extremely knowledgeable colleagues, who are all passionate about ESG as well.”
The Riverside Company is a signatory to the Principles for Responsible Investment (UN PRI) and supports the ESG Data Convergence Project, which was launched last year by leading private equity firms and their investors to agree on an industry standard of ESG metrics that would allow comparative reporting.
The Riverside Company
Riverside Company is a global private equity firm focused on investing in growing companies valued up to $400 million. Since its founding in 1988, Riverside has made more than 870 investments. The company’s international private equity and structured capital portfolios include more than 130 companies. Riverside Europe is an integral part of the company’s broad global network and has been investing in Europe since 1989. Riverside believes that having a global presence provides special insight and access into each local context, culture and business practices, making Riverside employees better investors and business partners.