Mark Bateman, internationally recognized ESG expert, partners with Aperio Group

SAUSALITO, Calif., Oct. 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Aperio Group, an investment management firm that is leading the next generation of indexing strategies, including Active Tax Indexing, Custom Beta Design, and Socially Responsive Indexing, announced that Mark Bateman has partnered with the firm as its Consultant focusing on ESG/SRI/Impact research and client customizations. In collaboration with Aperio Group, Mark has pioneered the Social Conversation, which provides investors the opportunity to articulate and prioritize their values in a meaningful and constructive process.

"Advisors to multi-generational families, foundations and endowments are seeking to respond to clients requesting highly customized portfolios that align with their unique and often highly personal values.  Mark's expertise and objectivity enable him to engage with clients knowledgeably and sensitively about the issues that matter most to them."  said Patrick Geddes, Aperio's Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer.   "He is then able to translate those values into data that we can incorporate into our portfolio construction process.  This will ultimately enable Aperio to deliver a portfolio that meets the client's SRI/ESG/Impact objectives while tracking the desired market benchmark with minimal incremental risk.

Commenting on his work with Aperio, Bateman said: "Aperio Group has been innovative in meeting the needs and interests of its clients.  I am excited to tap into that creativity and apply it to client ESG interests."

Prior to working at Aperio Group, Mark served as the Director of Research at IW Financial (IWF), a leading provider of value-added environmental, social, and governance (ESG) research. Previously, Mark spent eleven years at the Investor Responsibility Research Center (IRRC) in Washington, DC in a range of positions, including Director of the Environmental Information Service and ultimately Vice President of Research and Operations. Mark also served on the original Steering Committee of the Global Reporting Initiative helping to develop a sustainability reporting framework for companies. Mark has worked with the  U.S. EPA, World Resources Institute, Ceres, the Global Reporting Initiative, Calvert Group Mutual Funds, and Glass Lewis. Mark's chapter, "A Scenarios Approach to Developing Ecosystem Management Strategies" was included in "Policies for Sustainable Governance of Global Ecosystem Services". In addition, Mark co-authored "Finding Common Ground on Metrics that Matter," and "The Road Not Yet Taken: The State of U.S. Corporate Environmental Policy and Management".

Mark serves on the board of directors for the Sustainable Investment Institute (Si2), a social proxy research firm. Complementing his work at Aperio Group, Bateman will continue with his work at Segue Point, a consultancy focused on responsible investing and sustainability. Mark holds a BA from The Johns Hopkins University and an MA from George Washington University.

Aperio Group LLC is a pioneer in designing and managing custom portfolios to track index benchmarks or deliver targeted risk, factor, geographic, or industry exposures customized to a client's specific tax situation, values, and/or desired economic exposure. As an investment advisor, Aperio works with both taxable and tax-exempt investors to track a broad range of U.S. and international indexes. Form ADV Part 2A contains complete information regarding our services and fees, which can be obtained at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.

SOURCE Aperio Group