Global investment bank Houlihan Lokey announced the launch of a new sustainability advisory services practice, aimed at providing clients with strategic counsel on sustainability and ESG issues, and assisting boards, investors and management teams in navigating the global sustainability business landscape.

The newly launched practice, Sustainability Advisory Services, will form part of Houlihan Lokey’s Financial and Valuation Advisory (FVA) business.

Drew Koecher, Global Co-Head of Financial and Valuation Advisory, said:

“Houlihan Lokey recognizes that sustainability—as a risk management framework that investors and stakeholders are concerned with—is here to stay, even as it will continue to evolve in the years ahead. With our new Sustainability Advisory Services, we will provide our clients with best-in-class insights and decision support impacting valuation, diligence, transaction structuring, and monitoring across the global ESG spectrum.”

Houlihan Lokey’s new sustainability-focused practice will be co-led by Charlotte Peyraud, who is joining the firm as Co-Head of Sustainability Advisory Services, and Rob Teigman, Co-Head of FVA’s Energy and Infrastructure practice.

Peyraud joins the firm from Credit Suisse, where she served as Director, ESG Financing, advising on structuring transactions across asset classes with an ESG overlay. Prior to joining Credit Suisse, she worked at Crédit Agricole CIB, where she led the firm’s Sustainable Banking initiative for North and Latin America, and at Sustainalytics, serving as Manager of Sustainable Finance Solutions.

Kreg Jackson, Global Co-Head of Financial and Valuation Advisory, said:

“Throughout her career, Charlotte has advised board members, management teams, and other stakeholders on sustainability issues, long before ‘ESG’ became common terminology. Her expertise in sustainable finance structuring, the ESG reporting landscape, ESG disclosure, benchmarking, and positioning will be highly valuable to existing and future clients.”

Peyraud added:

“In the rapidly evolving sustainability space, board members, management teams, and investors face a unique challenge. There is often a lack of clarity and inadequate tools to navigate crucial sustainability topics. I am thrilled to join Houlihan Lokey and work to provide the much-needed support in this relatively underserved space.”

Teigman has been with Houlihan Lokey for over 16 years. Prior to his new role, he served as Managing Director and Head of Energy Financial & Valuation Advisory.

Teigman said:

“Houlihan Lokey has always strived to stay at the forefront of industry trends. Our Sustainability Advisory Services offering is a testament to this commitment, ensuring our board of directors and financial sponsor clients have the strategic support they need.”