Gabriëlle Krapels en Anke Cornelisse van APG have both been awarded

Published on: 26 September 2024

Gabriëlle Krapels, Managing Director of the Responsible Investment team at APG Asset Management, and Anke Cornelisse, Portfolio Manager Government Bonds at APG, have been awarded. Anke won the Young Talent Award last week, Gabrielle is in the Top 50 Women in Sustainable Finance. This list contains the names of Dutch female role models who make a difference in the field of sustainability in the financial sector. A conversation with both.

Gabrielle is the head of the Responsible Investment team at Fiduciary and, with her team, advises fund clients on their responsible investment policies. The Fiduciary Management (FM) department, which employs dozens of colleagues, was established in 2017. They keep the pension funds that APG invests assets for - ABP, bpfBOUW, SPW and PPF APG - , up-to-date on, for example, the future development of pensions for participants, taking into account their individual investment policies. FM also provides investment reports, advises the funds on investment mandates for clients, and then draws up these mandates. And all that with invested assets of €577 billion (as of the end of June 2024) in the portfolio.

How honored do you feel regarding your position in the Top 50 Women in Sustainable Finance?
“I’m proud and I’m particularly proud that we are on this list again as APG. Claudia Kruse, Anna Pot and Annette Mosman had already been on the list previously. In my role as Managing Director of Responsible Investments at Fiduciary Management of APG Asset Management, you can really make a difference, on behalf of and with our clients. In addition, we are one of the world's biggest pension investors and can make an important contribution to a more sustainable future on behalf of our clients through our investments. As a result, we have recently advised many fund clients on their responsible investment policies. This is different for each fund. Everyone has their own focus; for one client it may be impact investing, and for another client the focus may be more on biodiversity and climate policy. That makes our work challenging, but also very enjoyable.”

What is your own take on sustainability?
“I think it is very important that we create an economy that is sustainable. This thought was recently reaffirmed during a vacation. I was reading the book Gered door de Boomkikker by Ignace Schops. It explains how a loss of biodiversity not only affects us people and our environment, but also how it affects our economy and the financial sector. Take the fishing industry, for example. You can’t just empty the sea; there are consequences. Because the disappearance of that one fish species affects an entire ecological system. So, finding the right balance is very important, with an eye for the long term.”

For the third year in a row, WIFS is organizing the Top 50 Women in Sustainable Finance: a list of women who are working on sustainability in the financial sector with demonstrable visibility and impact on this topic. Entrepreneurs, C-level executives, managers, as well as up-and-coming talents and thought leaders, are included in this list. A diverse and inspiring group of women who all, in their own way, know how to make a positive impact within the sector. The Top 50 was officially launched yesterday during the Dive In event at PGGM in Zeist.

Anke Cornelisse wins Young Talent Award: “One day, I want to be the president of the ECB”

Anke Cornelisse has been awarded the Young Talent Award. According to the jury, the Portfolio Manager of Government Bonds at APG impressed them with her natural and relaxed leadership and she plays an exemplary role for young, talented women with ambition. A short interview with the proud winner.

Were you surprised?
“Kind of. During the awards ceremony I was sitting in the back of the auditorium, even though they had asked me if I wanted to sit closer to the front. No, I wasn’t expecting this. Nearly 30 women participated and, of course, it’s hard to compare everyone to each other, but I didn’t get the impression that I particularly stood out.”

What did the jury say?
“They said they were impressed with the human aspect of my leadership. We all participated in the ‘Empowering Young Female Talent’ program, where we worked together in groups. They appreciated my ‘warm personality’ combined with ‘the strategic insight to lead the group’. The jury also praised my conception of how I convert my expertise and knowledge, which I am gaining during my work and my PhD (doctorate or Doctor of Philosophy, ed.), into ‘normal human language.’ The way that I unlock that knowledge and make sure it is or becomes understandable to everyone. And they saw me as a good example for many young women.”

In what way?
“I have had a strong ambition from a young age. I have always said that one day I want to be president of the ECB (European Central Bank, ed.). But when you express that, the question of how, as a woman, you can combine that ambition with pregnancy soon arises. ‘I just do it’, I say. I have a one-year-old son, and a second one on the way. And no, it’s not always easy. But I manage. This is something that the jury says is inspiring to many others. And I’ve also noticed that since my participation in this election and winning the Young Talent Award. Many women come to me; they are insecure and don’t know if they can and want to combine it all. I want to encourage those women. Winning this award provides a great platform for that.”

Did APG play a role in you winning this award at all?
“APG offers me the opportunities and supports me in my ambitions, so yes. I have been a trainee and now I am getting every opportunity to continue to develop.”

Gabriëlle Krapels en Anke Cornelisse van APG have both been awarded

“I’m a very positive person; my glass is always half full”