J.P. Morgan Asset Management (JPMAM) has appointed Shizuko Ohmi as head of investment stewardship for Japan.

Ohmi will be responsible for the firm's Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) agenda in Japan, including leading corporate engagement with Japanese investments and overseeing proxy voting, JPMAM said in a release. She will be based in Tokyo and report to Jennifer Wu, global head of sustainable investing.

Ohmi joins from Amundi Japan Ltd., where she served nearly 17 years, including most recently as head of its ESG Department since its inception in 2015. She has actively led engagement with Japanese firms regarding sustainability issues, such as climate change and diversity. Previously she was head of equity research & strategy at Amundi.

Ohmi served as a member of Japan’s Ministry of Trade and Industry working group in formulating guidance on climate risk disclosure disclosure in accordance with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendation and worked with Japan’s Cabinet Office to research women’s advancement and information disclosure.

“Ohmi-san has extensive expertise from more than 20 years as an equity research analyst, much of it covering industries such as chemicals, textiles and oil exploration and refineries. With a dedicated focus on ESG since 2015, she brings impressive technical and analytical knowledge together with a dedicated focus on sustainability and corporate governance,” JPMAM's Wu says in the statement.

The firm has also expanded the role of its Japan institutional client advisor Chie Okada, who will continue to oversee ESG-related client efforts in Japan. She will specialize in continuing to drive sustainable investment client solutions locally. She was previously Japan lead for sustainable finance at HSBC Securities Japan.

Wu notes: “These appointments in Japan reflect our ongoing commitment to advancing sustainable investing solutions for our clients. As we broaden our sustainable investing platform globally, building on the depth of ESG integration across our global buy-side research analysts, we will continue to invest in our talent and capabilities and in enhancing our Investment Stewardship efforts.”