Kansas City, MO, April 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — WaterEquity, an impact-driven asset manager dedicated to solving the global water crisis, is proud to announce the appointment of Marlene Hormes as its new Chief Investment Officer (CIO).
Marlene Hormes brings to WaterEquity a wealth of experience in international investment management and sustainable investing. Her career spans more than two decades, highlighted by impactful investments and realized exits across private equity and debt instruments in emerging markets.
Prior to joining WaterEquity, Ms. Hormes served as CIO at Annycent Capital, an investment management firm focused on renewable energy assets in emerging markets. Ms. Hormes was also Managing Director of asset management firm Alphamundi, where she managed a sub-Saharan Africa-focused impact fund. Her previous roles include Vice President at both DEG – Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft and Goldman Sachs & Co. She has served on multiple boards and investment committees in Latin America and Africa, including at the African Development Bank, where she is currently the investment committee chair for the Private Sector Credit Enhancement Facility. Ms. Hormes holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Boston College and has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst Designation.
This appointment comes at an exciting time of growth for WaterEquity, as the organization expands its investment mandate beyond its traditional focus on household solutions to include climate-resilient water and sanitation infrastructure. The new strategy aims to rapidly scale impact through a systems-level approach, making equity and mezzanine investments in infrastructure projects and growth companies that address access, water quality and scarcity solutions with the goal of building climate resilience for vulnerable populations. Ms. Hormes will spearhead these investment efforts, leveraging her expertise to enhance WaterEquity’s impact worldwide.
“I am honored to join an organization that is at the forefront of impact investing in the water sector,” said Ms. Hormes. “I look forward to working with the talented team and diverse stakeholders at WaterEquity to drive positive change and create lasting impact in communities around the world.”
Paul O’Connell, President & CEO of WaterEquity expressed his enthusiasm for Ms. Hormes’ appointment: “We are thrilled to welcome Marlene to the WaterEquity team at this exciting time of growth and expansion. Her invaluable experience in the private equity space and her dedication to sustainable finance will be instrumental as we accelerate our efforts to provide access to safe water and sanitation for millions of people in need.”
WaterEquity’s outgoing CIO, John Moyer, will transition to a new role within WaterEquity’s sister organization Water.org, leading the launch of an infrastructure developer focused on climate-resilient water and sanitation projects, with the aim to catalyze further investment in the sector.
About WaterEquity:
WaterEquity is an asset manager dedicated to mobilizing private investment to the water and sanitation sector in emerging and frontier markets. WaterEquity invests in financial institutions, enterprises, and infrastructure in emerging and frontier markets delivering safe water and sanitation solutions to vulnerable communities, while seeking financial returns for investors. Since 2016, WaterEquity has raised more than $436 million in committed investment capital and reached more than five million people with access to safe water and sanitation.
Founded by award-winning entrepreneurs Gary White and Matt Damon of Water.org, and led by Paul O’Connell, the success of WaterEquity is built on decades of collective experience investing in water and sanitation in emerging markets.
Learn more at WaterEquity.com
- Marlene Hormes, WaterEquity Chief Investment Officer