Anne Simpson and Ben Meng, Franklin Templeton

Anne Simpson, Global Head of Sustainability at Franklin Templeton, is responsible for driving the company's strategic direction on stewardship, sustainability and ESG investment strategy globally, while fostering best practices within the firm's autonomous specialist investment managers. She serves as the firm's primary spokesperson on matters related to sustainability and participates in industry engagement initiatives and advocacy activities with policy makers and regulators. Previously Managing Investment Director for Board Governance & Sustainability at CalPERS, Simpson is a Visiting Fellow at Oxford University and teaches at University of California, Berkeley Haas Business School. Ben Meng is Chairman of Asia Pacific, Head of Global Private Equity and the Executive Sponsor of Sustainability for Franklin Templeton. Dr. Meng is responsible for expanding the firm's investment offerings and client reach in the Asia Pacific region, with a particular focus on leading the private equity, venture capital and other alternative asset investment capabilities. He leads Franklin Templeton's China business, as well as the Franklin Templeton Global Private Equity group. Dr. Meng has more than two decades of experience working in the global finance industry across three continents, including extensive experience in Asia Pacific, as well as a strong track record for delivering results across a broad range of asset classes.