CutterCast: ESG Practices

Virtual
Event Summary
With heightened demand for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing, regulators and investors are clamoring for increased transparency. In this CutterCast, we explore how firms support their ESG programs, what data sources they use, and what challenges they currently face.
Speakers


Gina McCafferty
Principal – Head of Research
Gina McCafferty has 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. She served at Cutter from 1999 to 2011 as Principal and Managing Director of CutterResearch, and she was instrumental in growing that business. Gina returned to Cutter in 2017, and established and ran the company’s Wealth Management research division. In 2019, she was appointed to Head of Research, responsible for Asset Management and Wealth Management product development and delivery to over 200 member firms around the globe. Gina was previously at Investit Ltd., where she served for six years as head of the company’s research service. Prior to that, she held senior positions at DST International with product responsibility for their global accounting and performance measurement systems, and at SunGard as Vice President of Client Services for their securities trading products.


Arnie Wachs
Principal – Head of Consulting (until 1/31/2025)
Arnie Wachs, Head of Consulting at Cutter Associates, brings extensive business and technical knowledge to the role, with over 30 years of investment management industry experience. Arnie advises clients on their strategic technology direction, data governance practices, trading platforms and practices, portfolio management tools, and operational organization, as well as data management architecture, tools, and practices. He has extensive experience working for investment management firms, financial software vendors, and consulting firms, in roles that included business analyst, developer, system architect, development management, project management, product management, sales, and executive positions. He has a deep understanding of investment management system use and design. He also leads the firm’s Technology and Architecture practice.
Prior to joining Cutter, Arnie worked for ITG, where he led the product management efforts for the development of the next-generation OEMS platform. Prior roles include Head of Equity Systems at BlackRock Solutions, Senior Product Manager at Charles River Development, and Vice President at Fidelity Investments, where he designed and developed the firm’s global trading platforms. Arnie also led efforts at State Street Global Advisors to create an enterprise-wide, cross-asset class security and benchmark master. He holds a Bachelor of Science in physics from Clarkson University.


CJ Jaskoll
Head of Investment & Data Technology, Neuberger Berman
C.J. Jaskoll, Managing Director, joined Neuberger Berman in 2017 and is currently Head of Investment & Data Technology. C.J. (Chaim) is responsible for developing a technology strategy and implementing the Enterprise Data and Front-Office Platforms across the firm, including Institutional and PWM Equities and Multi-Asset Class Portfolio Management, Trading, Research, ESG, Onboarding, Risk, Legal & Compliance, Enterprise Data Management, Data Analytics, and Data Science Engineering. Prior to joining the firm, C.J. spent 13 years at Jennison Associates, where he was the Director of Front Office Technology. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems, magna cum laude, from The Sy Syms School of Business.


Michael W.D. Kurz, PhD
Senior Advisor Responsible Investments, PGGM Investments
Michael is a Senior Advisor in PGGM’s Responsible Investments (RI) Team. Within the RI Team he focuses on ESG-related data analytics, data management, and research. Prior to joining PGGM, Michael was a Financial Risk Manager at the Dutch Central Bank (De Nederlandsche Bank). He holds a Ph.D. in Finance from Maastricht University (Netherlands), a M.Sc. in Economics and Finance from University of Tübingen (Germany), and a B.Sc. in Economics and Business Administration from Hohenheim University (Germany).


Christine Young
ESG Specialist, Polen Capital
Christine Young is Polen Capital’s ESG Specialist, where she is responsible for leading the firm’s sustainability and ESG initiatives. In her role, Christine heads the firm’s ESG Task Force and oversees ESG communication and reporting. She joined the firm in 2020. Prior to joining Polen Capital, Ms. Young was Vice President, Product and ESG Integration at Brandywine Global Investment Management, where she worked for 12 years and was instrumental in developing the firm’s ESG program. Before Brandywine, she held marketing and client service roles at McHugh Associates and Morgan Stanley Investment Management. Ms. Young received a B.A. in Psychology from The College of New Jersey and earned a certificate in Corporate Sustainability and Innovation from the Harvard Extension School.