ESG Talk: Infrastructure and the ESG Value Chain

Moderator – John Walker AM has a deep history on a global basis in the infrastructure space , particularly as it relates to all aspects of the rapidly converging energy transition world. John started his professional life as a civil servant in Australia with a reputation as a reformer and innovator. He became the youngest ever CEO of the Ministry of Transport in the State of NSW where he issued the first concession for a private railway in Australia and led the process of the transportation plan for the successful Sydney Olympics bid. Later John moved to Australia’s capital, Canberra, where he was appointed as the CEO of the Chief Minister’s Department and introduced wide raging economic reforms. In 1998 John was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia for his contribution to the Sydney Olympic bid and Government economic reform. In that same year he joined Banker’s Trust in Australia as Head of Government Business and one year later joined Macquarie Group in the same role. Within two years John moved to Korea as Chairman of the Group in Korea and led the creation of Macquarie’s first Asian infrastructure Funds and established over 10 years a $25 billion business for Macquarie in Korea. He was awarded a Korean Presidential Citation for his contribution to the development of Korea’s Capital Markets. Prior to his retirement from Macquarie in 2020 John went on to become Chairman of Asia for Macquarie Capital and Chairman of Asia for the Green Investment Group during the period when a large and successful infrastructure and renewable energy investment business was created across Asia. John since founded Eastpoint Partners which advises investors, corporates and Governments on a range of matters. He also sits on multiple Boards across Europe, Australasia, Korea and the US including a number of BlackRock entities. He also sits on the Investment Commmittee of the UK Government Owned British International investments.

Mira Lee is currently Board Director at SK Ecoplant. She was also on the Board of Hankook Tire & Technology as Chair of ESG Committee. As Visiting Professor, Mira teaches at Yonsei University Graduate School of International Studies.

Until 2021, she had been Chief HR Officer (CHRO) for GE Korea, responsible for their Power, Renewable Energy, Aviation, and Healthcare businesses.

Previously Mira was Managing Director & Chief Operating Officer (COO), Korea for Macquarie Group, which consists of securities, banking, asset management, private equity funds management, real estate and leasing businesses. Until she joined Macquarie Group in 2008, Mira had been on international assignment with Deutsche Bank for more than 7 years. She was based in the Frankfurt head office and in London as Chief of Staff under Corporate COO.

Mira is known as a transformational HR leader with global and diverse business experience. Her thought leadership was sought after by numerous Korean conglomerates, global companies, and universities. She is a frequent speaker in various conferences internationally on the topic such as leadership, culture transformation, D&I, employee experience, and Future of Work.

Mira holds an MBA from Cambridge University in England, and BA in Politics & Diplomacy from Ewha Womans University in Korea.

Thomas Putter was Chairman and Chief Executive of Allianz Capital Partners (Allianz Group’s entity for alternative asset investing) from 1998 – 2010 and from 2006 - 2009 also Co-Head of Allianz Alternative Assets Holding GmbH.

Prior to joining Allianz, he was with Goldman Sachs International, focussing on German speaking region principal investments and investment banking. He acted as Chief Financial Officer of the Matuschka Group from 1988 - 1992 and previously held positions in investment banking and international and corporate banking with SBCI Swiss Bank and Continental Illinois.

Thomas read Politics, Philosophy and Economics at The Queen’s College, Oxford (M.A. Oxon).

Between 2001 and 2007 he served first as a member of the board and then as Chairman of the German Private Equity and Venture Capital Association e.V. (BVK)

From 2005 to 2009 Thomas was a member of the Commission on Growth and Innovation of the Christian Democratic Union’s Economic Council.

In 2006 he was an observer of the EU Commission Alternative Investment Funds Expert Group (Sub-Group Private Equity) and between 2007 and 2009 Thomas was a member of the Advisory Board for Environmental Technology for the German Minister of the Environment.

Thomas holds board and advisory positions with a number of companies and specialist investment banks.

In 2012 Thomas founded the Ancora Finance Group, comprising a number of different advisory and consulting activities. In addition, Thomas acts as VC and growth capital investor in promising growth companies.

Ancora Finance Group has a presence in London, Munich and Zurich.

Henrik is responsible for the overall management of Navigare Capital, including execution of the strategy, business development and investor relations.

Henrik has more than 25 years of experience in the shipping and supply chain sectors within M&A, asset acquisition, asset management and logistics. Before establishing Navigare Capital with the other Partners, he held CEO and COO positions in the A.P. Moller-Maersk Group. Henrik was based in Asia for 11 years with Maersk Logistics & Damco and later as global CEO of the company. At Maersk Tankers, he was COO with a fleet of more than 250 crude tankers, product tankers and gas carriers, where he was responsible for more than 40 acquisition and exit transactions of product tankers, crude tankers and gas carriers.

From his time at A.P. Moller-Maersk, Henrik has extensive leadership experience within strategic management, shipping, supply chain management, asset investments and optimisation of large-scale investments and complex projects.

Henrik holds an MBA from IMD, Switzerland, and has completed management programmes at Harvard Business School, INSEAD, Cranfield and Stanford University.

Mr. Rhee is a leader in global sustainability and has been a long standing philanthropical giant. John is currently working as an Investment Committee Member for the Barbara Bush Foundation and serving as Chairman of a renewable energy company. He has extensive experience in financial markets where he was responsible for many landmark deals in business development and strategic execution including sustainable Investing.

John also held the position of Chief Financial Officer of the Nobel Sustainability Trust in Switzerland which was to build a new Nobel award for sustainability of environment on earth. John worked previously as an Executive Director for Softbank Alternative Investment and Venture Fund. Prior to these, John was an attorney with Davis Polk and Wardwell in New York and clerked for the White House Legal Counsel’s Office under President Clinton.

John is a graduate of the Yale Law School JD program and of the Cornell Undergraduate program at the School of Arts and Sciences with honors Summa Cum Laude and Presidential distinction.