Denis Childs
Head of Positive Impact Finance and Environmental and Social Advisory, Société Générale

Representing UNEP FI member: Société Générale (France)

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MOTIVATION STATEMENT

A position in the Global Steering Committee represents a unique opportunity to contribute to the strategic roadmap of the UNEP FI in terms of sustainability.

As my background indicated, I have been working in the investment banking sector for nearly 36 years with a focus on development in emerging and less developed countries markets.

During my career, I have been a developer of new businesses including creation of finance companies, securitization structures and funds. The businesses I have created and /or dramatically developed on a worldwide basis (export credit, commodity finance and project finance) now contribute to a significant part to Corporate Investment Banking’s income.

My new challenge since 2008 is to make SG a sustainable bank… with some achievements..: I led the conception and implementation of the environmental & social risk management system for the whole Bank.  I am now focusing in making it a mainstream business in the CIB.

I have developed in- house the Positive Impact Finance, starting 2012 which is at the origin of the Positive Impact movement now in progress under the UNEP FI aegis.

Furthermore, Societe Generale is playing an active role within the different working groups of UNEP FI and more recently joined the TCFD working Groups.

The position offered within the GSC will require innovation in the way sustainability is apprehended, flexibility in the way it is implemented especially taking into account different geographical landscape and willingness to push it forward.

I consider myself to fulfill those criteria and I am willing to dedicate the time and resources necessary to this task.

BACKGROUND

Denis Childs began his career at the Société Générale Group in 1978. In 1981, he moved to Société Générale Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB) to develop the Export Credit Department as a leader of the industry.

In 1993, he created and headed the bank’s worldwide Commodity (oil and gas, metals, soft commodities) and Trade Finance Business line. Project Finance was later added to his responsibilities (mining, then on oil &gas and power). During this period, he also created a finance company to bring finance to farmers in Mexico and a management company to run a commodity finance debt fund.
At the end of 2008, he started a new challenge both heading the Emerging and Sustainable Development department of the CIB and headed the Group Project to integrate E&S concerns in the decision processes of the Bank (CIB, French and International retail). He now focuses on the development of “Positive Impact Finance” as a means to meet the UN SDGs.

Board member of the UNEP FI Banking Commission, he is acting as member of the Steering Comittee of the Positive Impact initiative which is a cross finance sector initiative (Banks, Asset managers, Insurance)

Denis Childs holds a Masters in Law and an MBA in banking from Paris I and IV Universities.

Publications

  • “Positive Impact Finance: a challenge for industries and services, a preeminent role for the financial sector” (in “Responsible Investment Banking”-Springer 2015).
  • Towards and impact based economy (2017)

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