DWS hires Njagulj to head global property ESG initiative

Aleksandra (Sasha) Njagulj has left CBRE Global Investors and has joined asset manager DWS as global head of ESG for real estate.

DWS said Njagulj’s appointment was made in support of its goal of enhancing ESG integration across global real estate portfolios. Based in London, she will report to Todd Henderson, head of real estate, Americas, and Clemens Schaefer, head of real estate, APAC & EMEA.

She was previously global head of ESG at CBRE Global Investors with overall responsibility for developing and communicating global sustainability priorities and strategies across all of its business lines. Prior to that she was head of the sustainability, R&D and innovation department at Bouygues UK.

A qualified architect, Njagulj holds has a Master’s degree in Architectural Design from the University of Belgrade; a Master’s degree in Sustainability Leadership from the University of Cambridge; is a BRE Academy Fellow, and sits on the INREV ESG Committee and the ULI Sustainability Council.

Njagulj sustainability work has been widely recognised and in 2020 she received the edie Sustainability Leaders Investor of the Year award for an ESG programme she designed and delivered for CBRE and she was awarded the GRESB/BREEAM Individual Leadership Award, recognising strong leadership and commitment in the field of sustainable development.

DWS said that, as a fiduciary partner, it remains committed to becoming a leading ESG manager and to providing ESG expertise to enable clients to invest responsibly and in a way that contributes to a sustainable future. DWS was among the early signatories of the United Nations-backed Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) in 2008.

DWS’s real estate platform currently has €16.6 billion in green label real estate assets under management, with certifications including LEED, BREEAM, Energy Star, or their equivalents.