Kris Nelson, CFA

SENIOR DIRECTOR, HEAD OF ESG INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, INVESTMENT DIVISION

M.S., Information Management, University of Washington
B.S. (summa cum laude), Accounting, Villanova University


Kris is a Senior Director, Head of ESG Investment Management in the Investment Division where she is responsible for developing and overseeing the firm’s sustainable investment process. This includes leading efforts to develop ESG investment processes and infrastructure for Manager Research and Portfolio Management across asset classes, while overseeing our Active Ownership program. She began contributing to our stewardship efforts as a member of the Active Ownership Committee shortly after joining Russell Investments in 2016. She was named the Chair in 2021.

Previously, Kris was a member of the firm’s Equity Manager Research team, where she was specifically responsible for the research and rank ownership of managers in the global value and sustainable investing product universes. Kris started her investment career at ABN Amro in broker equity research, followed by a move into equity asset management roles at ForstmannLeff Associates, AG Asset Management, and Palisade Capital, where she was a senior vice president responsible for equity investments in the consumer and technology sectors for U S growth strategies. Over the course of her stock- picking career, she also covered companies in the media, telecommunications, autos, housing, and industrials sectors. Kris is a CFA charterholder and has earned the CFA’s Certificate in ESG Investing.


2023 Manager ESG Survey: Climate risk dominates

October, 2023
Our annual manager ESG survey, now in its ninth year, assesses the integration of ESG considerations in investment processes among equity, fixed income, real assets, and private markets managers from around the globe.