Deutsche Asset Management announced the appointment of Petra Pflaum as chief investment officer for responsible investments, effective January 4. Pflaum will also become a member of the management board of Deutsche Asset Management Investment GmbH representing Deutsche Asset Management’s equity and equity trading business.

In this new role, Pflaum will manage a dedicated Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) team responsible for the further integration of Deutsche Asset Management’s ESG capabilities into its investment processes and growing its client offerings across its active, alternatives and passive businesses. The existing ESG thematic research and governance teams will report to her. She  joined Deutsche Asset Management in 1999, and prior to her current role served as co-head of global research and global head of small and mid cap equities.

Pflaum will continue in her role as EMEA head of equities, and will be joined by Britta Weidenbach who will become EMEA co-head of equities, also effective January 4.

Weidenbach is currently head of European equities and has also been with Deutsche Asset Management since 1999. She has managed European equity funds since 2001.