Natixis names chief executive for Mirova

Natixis Investment Managers has promoted an executive from another affiliate to succeed the outgoing chief executive of Mirova, Philippe Zaouati, effective July 1.

Current DNCA Finance portfolio manager and director of responsible investment Léa Dunand-Chatellet will take the reins from Zaouati to lead the firm's next phase of development.

She will focus on strengthening its international reach in sustainable investing and leveraging the unique complementarity of its listed and private asset expertise to benefit clients, Natixis said.

Dunand-Chatellet brings over 20 years of experience across the ESG and responsible investing-related sectors. She began her career at Oddo Securities as financial analyst in 2005 before joining Sycomore Asset Management as head of ESG/SRI research and portfolio manager in 2010 for five years.

More recently, she was the equity chief investment officer at Mirova for two years prior to her current role.

She is well recognised for her contribution to the development of sustainable finance and actively contributes to industry working groups, notably with the AMF (French Financial Markets Authority), the AFG (French Asset Management Association), and the French Ministry of the Economy, Finance, and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, Natixis said.

Natixis chief executive Philippe Setbon said her leadership in sustainable finance, industry recognition, and deep knowledge of the business will be major assets in driving Mirova's growth and expansion.

"We are delighted to promote a talented internal executive to lead Mirova," Setbon said.

"Her career path perfectly demonstrates the strength of our multi-affiliate model, which offers our professionals an ideal environment in which to grow by combining the rich diversity of our leading asset management firms with the support and stability of an international group."

"Under Léa's leadership, I am confident that Mirova will continue its long-term growth trajectory, in line with its mission and the priorities of our VISION 2030 strategic plan."

Dunand-Chatellet said the firm is undergoing a pivotal moment in its development and is delighted to be joining at such time.

"Mirova possesses unique strengths, driven by the dedication and expertise of its teams, to meet investor expectations for sustainability and long-term performance," she said.

"Given the scale of financing required, we have an essential role to play in directing capital toward projects that accelerate transitions and create sustainable value.

"I am convinced that Mirova has all the levers to continue leading the way and to pursue its long-term development for the benefit of our clients."

Setbon has thanked Zaouati for his contribution.

"I also wish to express my deep gratitude to Philippe Zaouati, whose vision and unwavering commitment to sustainable finance have helped make Mirova one of the industry's pioneers since day one," Setbon said.

Founded in 2012, Mirova is headquartered in Paris, France, and is part of Natixis managing high conviction, multi-thematic sustainable portfolios, across asset classes in both listed and private markets. As of 31 March 2026, the firm has $40 billion (US$27.2bn) in assets under management.