Chuka Umunna is an investment banker who has spent two decades in law, public policy, and finance advising various companies and organizations on business-critical issues that impact on long term value and suitability - environmental, social and governance factors (ESG) in particular.
Mr Umunna is a Managing Director and Head of EMEA ESG & Green Economy Investment Banking for JP Morgan. In this role, he co-leads the firm's global ESG investment banking team, which advises corporate clients across all major industry verticals on how to improve their sustainability credentials, optimize value and mitigate risk through effective ESG integration, and on how to access ESG-focused capital across equity, debt and private markets.
In Europe, the Middle East and Africa he co-ordinates and leads JP Morgan’s green investment banking business and coverage of clients in emerging green sectors. In addition, he co-ordinates JP Morgan Chase & Co.’s ESG strategy across EMEA, overseeing the franchise’s own efforts to integrate ESG into its operations and business activities in the region.
Before joining JP Morgan Chase & Co.'s Corporate & Investment Bank in April 2021, he was Global Co-Head of ESG at Edelman, the world’s biggest strategy and communications advisory firm. In addition, from 2020 until 2021 he served as a non-executive director (NED) for leading private equity firms BC Partners and Vista Equity Partners on the board of their portfolio company, Advanced, the UK’s third largest software company. He has also served as a NED of Digital Identity Net UK, a UK fintech firm in the digital identity sector and has sat on the advisory board of Signal AI, a leader in Artificial Intelligence solutions for business and professional services.
Mr Umunna was a Member of the UK Parliament from 2010 to 2019, during which time he served in a number of senior roles in the UK parliament including as the UK's Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills. Originally a lawyer by profession, prior to his election to the UK Parliament he worked as a corporate employment law solicitor for international law firm Herbert Smith Freehills LLP for several years.