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A behind-the-scenes story of how a new sustainable bond gets invented, structured, challenged, and ultimately funded—and how investors actively shape the market, not just participate in it.
How do sustainable fixed income markets actually get built? This session takes institutional and impact investors behind the scenes of a real-world sustainable bond journey—from the identification of a market or societal gap that can be addressed by stable capital, through structuring, negotiation, investor challenge and ultimate issuance.
Delegates will hear how new instruments—from green and blue bonds to sustainability-linked and gender-equity outcomes —are conceived, tested and refined in practice. Drawing on issuer and investor perspectives, this session will unpack the decisions, tensions and trade-offs that lead to new issuances and positive real-world outcomes.
The session will explore what makes an investable structure credible, what can stall or derail innovation, and how anchor investors can influence design, pricing, impact integrity and market confidence. It will also look ahead to the next wave of sustainable fixed income opportunities, including biodiversity, blue finance and transition finance.
For delegates seeking practical insight into how capital can shape markets—not simply flow through them—this is a rare opportunity to learn from the people involved in turning sustainable finance ideas into scalable, mainstream investments.
Investment Analyst at Trust Investments
Catherine is an Investment Analyst at Trust Investments, specialising in ESG and climate risk analysis. Her work supports values-aligned portfolio strategies for clients in the charitable and for-purpose sectors.
Catherine brings a unique blend of analytical and governance experience, having previously worked at Foundation North with its executive and board to guide impactful philanthropic strategy. She is co-chair of the RIAA Aotearoa Collaborative Working Group and served as board secretariat for the Rule Foundation, an organisation advocating for rainbow and takatāpui communities.
Catherine holds a Bachelor of Science in Statistics and is completing a Graduate Diploma in Actuarial Science. She has also studied Te Reo Māori through Unitec’s Kura Pō programme, reflecting her commitment to inclusive and culturally grounded practice.
Driven by a deep belief in the intersection of finance, justice, and community impact, Catherine supports clients in building resilient, purpose-led investment portfolios.
Global Fixed Income Client Portfolio Manager at Nuveen
Alan is a product specialist for Nuveen’s ESG/impact global fixed income capabilities. He is responsible for delivering impact bond solutions to asset owners, consultants, and financial professionals globally. Alan leads client communication and reporting for the team’s institutional separate account clients, and spearheads a myriad of product management, thought leadership creation, business development and operational projects to keep the investment team focused on markets.
Prior to joining Nuveen in 2012, he led the North America fixed income manager research team at Mercer Investment Consulting. Prior to Mercer, he was a mutual fund analyst and portfolio manager of target risk portfolios at Morningstar.
Alan graduated with a B.S. in Finance, with Honors, from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and is a member of CFA® Institute and CFA® Society North Carolina. He is a former director of CFA® Society Chicago.
Senior Director, Sustainable Finance at Impact Investment Exchange (IIX)
Natasha Garcha is Senior Director of Sustainable Finance at Impact Investment Exchange (IIX), where she leads the award-winning Women’s Livelihood Bond™ Series, which has empowered +3 million women across emerging markets. She is the architect of the Orange Bond Principles, a global framework that has mobilized over US$1.5 billion toward gender-lens investing and is one of the fastest-growing thematic bond labels worldwide.
She is the author of Gender Equality and Climate Security: The Athenian Edge (forthcoming De Gruyter Brill, 2026), which advances a practical framework at the gender–climate–peace nexus. Grounded in research conducted at Harvard University and the University of Oxford, the book translates systemic global risk into actionable finance and policy solutions.
