Impax exec appointed to NERC

Ian Simm, chief executive of Impax Asset Management, has been appointed by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) as a member of the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) for a four year period.

NERC is the UK’s main agency for funding and managing world-class research, training and knowledge exchange in the environmental sciences through universities and six research centres, including the British Antarctic Survey and the National Centre for Atmospheric Science. With around £370m of funding annually from the UK government, it coordinates some of the world’s most exciting research projects, tackling major issues such as climate change, environmental influences on human health and the genetic make-up of life on Earth.

Council members have corporate responsibility for all NERC’s actions and those of its staff. They decide issues such as corporate strategy, key strategic objectives and targets, and major decisions involving the use of financial and other resources.

Simm commented: “NERC has a key role in maintaining the UK’s world-leading reputation for excellence in environmental research. I am delighted to be joining the Council and hope that my investment experience from the private sector will be a valuable contribution to NERC’s activities and strategic development.”