Discussing the Findings of the Future of Responsible Investing Asset Owners Group with the PRI

Carly Jacobs, Head of Responsible Investment Engagement and Innovation, Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI)

Carly Jacobs oversees working with leading, global investment manager and asset owner signatories on developing innovative ideas in pursuit of a sustainable financial system. She joined PRI in 2021 as a relationship manager for US signatories and previously held roles in the PRI Stewardship, Active Ownership 2.0 team.

Prior to the PRI, Carly worked for the Hershey Company where she oversaw ESG reporting and the development of the company’s environmental sustainability targets, including the company’s Science-Based Targets initiative-approved GHG reduction goal in-line with 1.5°C. Before Hershey, Carly spent nearly a decade at Boston Trust Walden Company, where she managed the firm’s ESG research process, proxy voting, and engagement efforts on ESG reporting, LGBTQ equality, water, climate change, and responsible supply chains.

Carly earned a BA, magna cum laude, in Economics and International and Global Studies from Brandeis University and a Master of Arts in International Economics and Finance (MAIEF) from the International Business School at Brandeis University. She holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Washington, DC. She is also a co-leader for the DC Chapter of Women Investing in a Sustainable Economy.

Carol Thomas, Director of Sustainability and Responsible Investment and Interim Head of European Policy, The Investment Association

Carol started her career in EU regulatory affairs in Brussels before joining the FSA in 2010. Carol’s work at the FSA/FCA spanned pension policy, financial disclosure and leading on life insurance thematic reviews. She also spent a year working for the Irish Department of Finance in Brussels covering financial services files in the European Council.

In 2018, Carol joined the Investment Association as a Retail Markets Specialist covering all issues related to the regulation and distribution of retail funds in the UK and across the EU. Following a short period as Head of Asset Management Policy for M&G, Carol re-joined the IA and was appointed Head of Sustainability and Responsible Investment, now Director, and leads on the full range of sustainability & responsible Investment issues impacting investment management industry today. Carol also leads on wider European Policy work for the IA.

Faith Ward MBE

Faith Ward MBE is a leading figure in responsible investment, with nearly three decades of experience at the intersection of investment and sustainability. Until June 2026, she served as Chief Responsible Investment Officer at Brunel Pension Partnership, where she was responsible for embedding responsible investment across public and private markets.

She previously spent twenty years at the Environment Agency Pension Fund. Faith chairs the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change and co-founded the Transition Pathway Initiative. She also holds advisory roles with the UK Government's Transition Finance Council, the ISSB Investor Advisory Group, and the Church of England's National Investing Bodies.

Awarded an MBE in 2025 for services to pensions and the environment, she is a Fellow of the CFA UK, a Fellow of ISEP, and a Chartered Environmentalist, recognised for her leadership in sustainable finance and helping investors respond to long-term system-level risks.