Christophe Defert

Head of Climate Growth Partners at HSBC Asset Management

Panellist

Christophe is the Head of Climate Growth Partners, an HSBC Asset Management growth and venture strategy focused solving the Climate crisis by investing in the best entrepreneurs and technologies. Having relocated to London from San Francisco in 2021, he was previously Vice President of Centrica Innovations, leading the UK’s largest energy retailer’s Venture Capital effort deploying £100m in North America, Europe, and Israel.

He started his career as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch in London before joining the Private Equity firm TowerBrook Capital Partners where he focused on growth equity investments and leverage buyouts in a variety of industries. Following his MBA, Christophe joined Centrica in the group M&A team and later leading the European gas origination team as part of Centrica Marketing and Trading. In 2014, Christophe moved to North America as part of the M&A team where amongst other things, he led the acquisition of Panoramic Power, an energy management and intelligence company.

Christophe has a BA in Economics and International Affairs from Colorado College, a Finance and Accounting graduate degree from the London School of Economics and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Christophe is married with three children.