Insights & Opinion Pieces

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Opinion Pieces

Biodiversity: A Sassy Sales Pitch

Biodiversity is a beautiful but complex concept. We explore how biodiversity value-add can be made more accessible for an investor audience, and how the financial sector can deploy capital in a biodiversity positive way.

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Insights

Annual Letter 2023

6 years ago in March, SAIL was founded in Amsterdam. Opportunistically, in many ways, but it didn’t necessarily feel like that for me as I’d been thinking about how to come to this point for some time…

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cattle in field
Opinion Pieces

Are cows the new coal?

Global production and consumption of meat have grown steadily over the past three decades due to higher levels of affluence globally, with evident negative…

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tropical trees
Opinion Pieces

Recipe for success

&Green was established in 2017 as an independent investment vehicle to be a market leader in directly financing delinking deforestation in the tropics…

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Libbis Sujessy

Libbis Sujessy joined SAIL’s Origination Network as a Consultant in Indonesia. She is a dynamic mid-level sustainability professional with 7 years of diverse experience spanning waste management, energy, and agriculture sectors. Initially a process engineer, she pivoted to sustainability, driven by passion for environmental stewardship. Her career has led her to explore various facets of sustainability, recently focusing on green financing and entrepreneurship. This multifaceted background provides comprehensive understanding of sustainable practices across industries. Formally trained in chemical engineering and industrial ecology, Libbis brings a unique blend of technical expertise and environmental knowledge to her work. Her analytical skills, honed through engineering, complement her sustainability focus, enabling innovative approaches to complex environmental challenges.

Outside work, she’s an avid reader, aiming to finish at least one book monthly, and is currently exploring new sports-related hobbies.

Mihail Belostennyj

Mihail Belostennyj, a financial professional with over 20 years of experience,  is the Head of Origination of SAIL Investments. Over the past 15 years prior to joining SAIL Mihail worked as Managing Director/CEO of Lux Kapitalmarkt Mangement AG in Luxembourg, focusing on structuring of securitization transactions with members of the German Sparkasse Group and other institutional investors and stakeholders.  Mihail has extensive expertise in origination and management of alternative asset portfolios. He started his career as a financial services professional working for Citco Fund Services, TMF Group, and former Fortis Intertrus in Luxembourg. Mihail holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Birmingham-Southern-College in Birmingham, Alabama, USA.

He balances his work by participating in various sports activities with his twin sons.

Marcela Paranhos

Marcela Paranhos is Associate Director Sustainability of Sail Investments. Bringing 20-years experience in sustainability and climate finance, she worked for 15 years providing consultancy services for large-sized Brazilian listed companies and sectoral support for different industry sectors, as industry, agriculture, and energy. Since 2018 with a special focus on land-use related sectors, she worked for global NGOs as IDH and The Nature Conservancy, leading the sustainable finance agenda in Latin America. She started her career managing the carbon finance portfolio for ArcelorMittal businesses in Brazil. 

Marcela is an Economist, holding a Bachelor degree in Economic Science from the Pontificy Catholic University of Minas Gerais, Brazil.  She is a family person, passioned about wine and coffee, who spends most of her personal time with books and home cooking.

Luca Ribichini

Luca Ribichini is a Senior Associate in the Business Development team at SAIL Investments. He brings +10y of experience within Asset Management, Investment Banking, Corporate/Investor Banking, Advisory and Impact Venture Capital. He previously held the position of Head of IR at a European Impact VC fund, focusing on institutional investor relationships and business development. In Private Debt, he served as an Investor Banking Sales Associate, covering various sectors within Senior Secured Loans. He was also selected as one of the 100 U35 Italian innovators by the Financial Times. He started his career in Credit & Counterparty risk and Performance Attribution of a large Asset Manager and then moved to Equity Sales & Trading as Sales Associate for an Investment Bank. Luca holds a M.Sc. in Finance (cum laude) from the Tilburg School of Economics & Management, Netherlands, and a B.Sc. in Economics & Finance from Bocconi University, Italy. 

Outside office, Luca is a painter and enjoys playing tennis. He is also the Chapter Leader of Bocconi Alumni Amsterdam. 

Tommie Linders

Tommie Linders has recently joined Sail Investments as a Senior Associate Finance and Operations, after being employed at EY in the Strategy and Transactions practice. He has over seven years of experience in Financial Due Diligence, including Financial Statement Analysis, Reporting and Accounting in a transaction driven environment. During this period, Tommie became a financial specialist in an international context, further emphasized by completing the CFA program in 2021. His academic credentials also comprise a Master’s degree in International Business with a specialization in Finance and a Bachelor’s degree in International Business, both from Maastricht University in the Netherlands. 

 

When Tommie is not working, he likes to spend time in his beloved Amsterdam, running through the surrounding countryside, visiting the local restaurants and cheering for its world-famous football club.

Sara Senouci

Sara Senouci recently joined SAIL Investments as a Sustainability Analyst, boasting a background in financial services and ESG risk assessment. Prior to joining SAIL, she served as a research analyst at Sustainalytics-Morningstar, focusing on companies within the packaged foods, agriculture, and retail apparel sectors. Sara’s academic credentials include an MA in African Studies from Leiden University and a bachelor’s degree in international studies from Al Akhawayn University in Morocco. Additionally, she possesses a certificate in ESG investing from the CFA Institute.

When she is not working, Sara enjoys traveling, literature and good food.

Lucian Peppelenbos

Lucian Peppelenbos is an external and independent member of SAIL’s Investment Committee, bringing in over 25 years of experience as a sustainability professional. He works for Robeco as Climate and Biodiversity Strategist. Robeco is an international asset manager with over EUR 180 billion in assets under management; and Lucian oversees the integration of Climate and Biodiversity in the company’s investment processes. Lucian previously worked as responsible investment specialist at APG Asset Management. Before that he helped to set up IDH Sustainable Trade Initiative, a public-private partnership that co-invests with corporates in sustainable commodity supply chains. He earned a PhD in social-economic sciences at Wageningen University.

In his free time, Lucian loves cooking and spending time in nature.

David Smart

David Smart serves as a Senior Adviser to SAIL and is a member of the SAIL investment Committee. He has 42 years experience as an investor with a particular focus on fixed income and emerging markets. He has however covered a wide array of asset classes including private equity, debt and venture capital
and, in the last 8 years, impact. David spent most of his career at Fiduciary Trust and Franklin Templeton where he enjoyed a 28 year global advisory relationship with the United Nations Pension Fund and worked with many of the top Sovereign Funds and Central Banks. He now has multiple non-executive and advisory roles and chairs the Investment Committee for the Health Foundation endowment fund, having spent 9 years in a similar role for the National Trust, Europe’s largest conservation charity, where he oversaw the introduction of an allocation to an impact portfolio aligned with the Trust’s main environmental objectives. He received an MA in Classics from Cambridge University. 

David greatly enjoys playing the piano, antiquarian books, tennis, cricket and rugby.

Istvan Fritsche

Istvan Fritsche is the Head of Business Development at SAIL Investments. He brings 24 years of expertise in asset management and banking across public and private markets that covered various asset classes. Istvan`s career includes roles at Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan AM, BlueBay AM, ING IM, IKB (AM), and RiverRock ECP. Transitioning from investment banking to the buy-side in 2004, and later to private markets in 2013 where Istvan found his enduring passion. Istvan’s academic background is diverse, with studies in Politics (International Relations), Economics, Philosophy, and Art History at Frankfurt University. Istvan is a CAIA Charterholder.

Outside the office, Istvan leads an active lifestyle as a runner, swimmer, squash and tennis player, and sailor.

O'Neil Thiart

O’Neil Thiart is an Investment Analyst with the Investment team at SAIL Investments. His background includes a role as a listed equity analyst for a buy-side investment manager in South Africa, where he analyzed a wide array of equities on the JSE. O’Neil holds a BCom Hons in Financial Analysis from the University of Stellenbosch, graduating Cum Laude in 2021. He has also completed all three levels of the CFA program, positioning him to become a CFA charterholder once he meets the experience requirements.

O’Neil loves to swap his desk chair for a bike saddle, though his physique hints he’s more of an enthusiast than Tour de France contender.

Marthe Tollenaar

Marthe Tollenaar is the Associate Director in the Sustainability team at SAIL Investments, with more than 14 years of experience in managing sustainable forestry and agriculture investments in emerging markets. She led the sustainable strategy for Southeast Asia at New Forests in Singapore, and later managed international projects in The Netherlands for a carbon finance organization and began her career managing sustainable forestry in Africa. She holds an MSc in Ecology and Natural Resource Management and a BSc in Biology.

Marthe is an avid runner and yoga enthusiast, and the team’s dedicated supplier of home-baked banana bread.

Michael Schlup

Michael Schlup is the Chief Sustainability Officer of SAIL Investments, and a member of SAIL’s investment committee. He is a sustainability professional with over 25 years of experience, having previously worked for Barry Callebaut, the world’s leading manufacturer of chocolate and cocoa products including managing the Cocoa Horizons Foundation. As global agribusiness and food company Bunge, he oversaw Africa for their asset management and environmental markets team. He was the founding CEO of the Gold Standard Foundation, an NGO that established quantification and impact maximisation standards. Michael’s career began by advancing sustainable energy financing at the United Nations and working as a management consultant. Michael is a trained scientist and holds a M.Sc. in Geography from the University of Basel, Switzerland, and a M.Sc. in Industrial Environmental Economics from Lund University, Sweden.

A keen sailor and cyclist, Michael balances these exhausting activities by making his own beer, bread, and sausages.

Andrea Salmon

Andrea Salmon is the Business Manager at SAIL Investments. She oversees office management, HR, and projects that draw on over 11 years of operational and administrative experience in small to corporate-sized businesses. Andrea’s career began in Dubai, and she has since gained international experience in Hamburg, Cape Town, and currently in The Hague. She graduated from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, with a BA in Social Dynamics and a Postgraduate degree in Marketing.

Outside of work, Andrea enjoys hiking and cycling in the great outdoors, as well as traveling and practicing yoga.

Erik Peek

Erik Peek is an Investment Director directing origination, deal structuring, and management. Erik’s 30 years of deep experience in financial markets, particularly in Latin America where he is also certified by Brazil’s CVM, has helped him play a pivotal role since Sail’s inception. As the former CEO of Rabobank Brazil, Erik bolstered the agricultural sector by managing assets of $10 billion and his leadership extended to serving on boards like Banco Regional and the Forest Stewardship Council, and credit committees. Erik holds an MSc from Karlsruhe University and an MBA from IMD.

Off the clock, Erik is married and takes pride that his independent children are now making their own societal contributions.

Natalia Pasishnyk

Natalia Pasishnyk is the Sustainability Director at SAIL Investments with 18 years of sustainability experience. She has worked in Brazil as a consultant, supporting major corporations across a wide range of sectors including agriculture, forestry, mining, renewable energy, finance, and governmental bodies build responsible low carbon strategies and supply chains. Her sustainability focus began with climate mitigation projects in the Brazilian Amazon. Natalia, a trained scientist, earned her M.Sc. in Sustainable Forestry from the University of Freiburg, Germany.

Beyond work, Natalia enjoys travelling off-the-beaten-path, discovering cultures through cuisine and customs, and has a keen interest in artificial intelligence.

Gustavo Oubinha

Gustavo Oubinha is the Brazil Investment Director at SAIL Investments. Gustavo leads origination, deal structuring, and portfolio management, leveraging 25 years of financial market expertise. Certified by Brazil’s CVM, he previously enhanced Rabobank Brazil’s strategic initiatives as Managing Director, focusing on credit structuring and M&A, and has experience in complex investment transactions through his work at Banco InterAtlântico and Machado Meyer Advogados. Gustavo holds an LL.M. from the University of East Anglia as a Chevening Scholar. His further education in economics law from Fundação Getúlio Vargas is complemented by programs at Harvard, INSEAD, and Chicago Booth.

Off duty, Gustavo values family time, enjoying moments with his wife and two children.

Brett Mallen

Brett Mallen is the Chief Operating Officer at SAIL Investments and spearheads its financial, legal, and compliance capabilities. With over 20 years in investment management, he notably led as COO, and acting CEO, at Sanlam Africa Investments, focusing on private market funds and board leadership. Previously, he worked in Sanlam’s Private Equity team. Brett is admitted as an attorney in South Africa, holding an LL.M (Cum Laude) from Leiden University and a CFA Charter.

Brett prioritises family and fitness outside of the office. He spends his spare time on active holidays with his wife and two children (skiing being a firm favourite). Brett has recently discovered the 70.3 Ironman events and has competed in one event per year.

Adrian Lain

Adrian Lain is a Senior Sustainability Associate at SAIL Investments specialising in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and Geographical Information Systems (GIS). He brings with him 11 years of international experience in research, certifications, and geospatial analysis in public and private environments, which builds on his career start as a research technician in the Norwegian Forest and Landscape Institute.

During off-hours, Adrian explores the world through music and aviation.

Vidya Iyer

Vidya Iyer is an Associate Director in the Investment team. She is responsible for investment research and analysis, transaction structuring and execution, leveraging her 11 years of experience in venture capital investments, corporate finance and equities investment valuation. Vidya started her career with Goldman Sachs as an analyst and spent time with J.P.Morgan. She has a Bachelor’s of Commerce from the University of Madras, is a Chartered Accountant from India and holds a M.Sc. in International Finance from the University of Amsterdam.

In her leisure time, Vidya enjoys exploring the Dutch landscape on her bike or in running shoes.

Johnny Brom

Johnny Brom is founder and Chief Investment Officer of SAIL Investments, where he also leads the Investment Committee. Johnny has a diverse background in business development and investment strategy for companies across South Africa, North America, and Europe. He started his career at JP Morgan Securities and held a role at a Cape Town-based boutique asset manager, accumulating over 17 years of investment experience in developed, emerging, and frontier markets. Prior to SAIL, Johnny initiated an innovative financing unit at the Dutch agency, IDH, pioneering early blended finance transactions in global supply chains. Johnny holds a Master’s in Finance from SOAS University of London, a PE specialisation from London Business School, and a Business Science degree from the University of Cape Town.

Johnny is known for his love of whiteboards, and sketching in his journal.