Certification Assessment Panel

The Certification Assessment Panel (CAP) is a delegate of the RIAA Board and is responsible for the  administration of the Responsible Investment Certification Program.The CAP is responsible for the approval of all certified products and advisors across all categories of the RI Certification Program.  The CAP meets monthly to deliberate and assess the certification applications that are provided by the RIAA Certification Team.  The CAP comprises members of the RIAA Board (the Board) and independent members, selected by the Board for their skills, knowledge and experience in:

– Responsible investing and/or ESG integration
– Quality systems and processes
– Professional standards and behaviours
– Legal and regulatory aspects of investing
– The investment value chain, including retail.

Chair

Justin Medcalf

Justin is the Head of Innovation at Bendigo Wealth (a division of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited), and advisory council member at the Environmental Grant-Makers Network.

He is the former CEO of The Emerald Club Ltd and former Managing Director and Financial Planner at Green Equity Management. Justin was the founding Chairperson at the Ethical Advisers’ Co-operative Ltd, was a Compliance Development Manager at both AMP Ltd and Count Financial Ltd, and Treasurer for Project Australia.

Over the years, Justin has presented on Responsible Investing at numerous national and international conferences and events. During his time as a financial planner he also facilitated workshops for community groups, government and business.

Justin holds a Bachelor Degree in Accounting, an Advanced Diploma in Financial Services, is a Fellow of the Centre for Sustainability Leadership and is currently completing a Graduate Certificate in Social Impact.

Kathryn McDonald

Kathryn’s professional background is in quantitative investing. She joined the risk modelling company BARRA immediately after graduate school, then joined AXA IM Rosenberg and held a variety of roles from portfolio manager, Head of Investments for Australia/New Zealand, and finally Head of Sustainable Investing. She left AXA IM Rosenberg in early 2020. She has since co-founded Radiant ESG, a consulting firm that advises on investment approaches to ESG integration, diversity and inclusion, and corporate culture. She is also the founder of Aquanos Collective, a company focused on water risk and innovation in water infrastructure and technology. Kathryn is a board member of the Responsible Investment Association of Australia (RIAA).

Karen McLeod

As an Authorised Representative of Ethical Investment Advisers, Karen McLeod holds the highest level of accreditation in Australia as a Certified Financial Planner ^TM (CFP).  She also holds a Bachelor of Business (with Distinction).  She is accredited by the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) as a Certified Financial Adviser.  Karen has served 5 years as a Board Member of RIAA and to the RIAA Certification Committee.

Additionally, Karen is a member of the Ethical Advisers’ Co-operative and served as the Chairperson in 2014.  She is also a member of the peak industry association in Australia, the Financial Planning Association (FPA).

In 2009, the Australian Financial Review’s ‘Smart Investor’ magazine awarded Karen McLeod a place in their Master Class Top 50 Honour Roll (Australia wide).  This achievement is based on her technical expertise. She has loved running her own practice in Brisbane for over 10 years.

Dave Rae

Dave has been an adviser for 19 years and is accredited as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and SMSF Specialist Advisor™. He is also accredited by the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) as a Certified Financial Adviser.

Over the years, Dave has received FPA and dealer group adviser awards and been a regular presenter at conferences and seminars. He is regularly sought out for advice by advisers’ who are early in their responsible investing journey.

Dave is a member of the Ethical Advisers’ Co-op and a Working Group member of the Australian Sustainable Finance Initiative (ASFI). He also holds a BEc (Accounting) and Graduate Diploma Financial Planning.

Farren Williams

Farren has 19 years’ experience providing tailored financial solutions to wealthy individuals and families, non-profits and foundations.  She is passionate about responsible investing and has tailored ethical solutions for clients for over a decade, developing ethical investing policies, designing portfolios, reviewing exposures, providing impact investing advice and running tailored workshops.

In addition to being a Partner at Koda Capital, Farren is Deputy Chair of the Royal Botanical Gardens Foundation Victoria and on the Investment Committee of the Aesop Foundation.  Previously on the Investment Committee of The Myer Foundation, she undertook due diligence on impact investments culminating in the foundation’s first impact investment in 2015.

Farren has been on expert panels for the Generosity Forum, RIAA, Philanthropy Australia ad GiveWell.

Jim Hardy

Jim has held a board position with RIAA in 2015-2017. He has a diploma in Financial Services (DFP) and Bachelor’s Degree in Business with extensive past experience in Corporate Banking and Project Finance across diverse markets.

Mostly recently Jim has worked on community capacity building and the development, risk assessment, delivery and management of sustainable funding solutions for the Not-for-Profit sector at Bendigo and Adelaide Bank group.

Jim’s interest in RI is based on the approach that capital only optimises its utility when it serves and enhances society and the world we live in. Jim has a particular interest in prosecuting and fostering innovation in affordable housing supply and growth especially through the lens as a socio-economic infrastructure investment grade asset class. His specialties include Community and Government engagement, partnership negotiation and project scoping.

Jim is married to Debra Hardy and they have 5 grandchildren, he is also a Paul Harris fellow (Rotary International).