Our team

Linda-Eling Lee

Founding Director and Head of the Institute

Linda-Eling Lee is the Institute’s founding director and a leader in the field of sustainable finance.

She most recently led global ESG and climate research at MSCI, where she built one of the world’s top teams of analysts dedicated to understanding long-term drivers of sustainable value. Linda has authored multiple research papers on sustainable investing and twice been named by Barron’s to its annual list of the Top 100 Women in Finance. She serves as a director of US SIF: Sustainable Investment Forum and is a Fellow of the Finance Leaders Fellowship of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Linda joined MSCI in 2010 following the acquisition of RiskMetrics, where she led ESG ratings research and headed consumer sector analysis. She received her doctorate in organizational behavior from Harvard University, holds a master’s from the University of Oxford, and has a bachelor’s in East Asian Studies from Harvard College.

Daniel Cremin

Chief Operating Director

Daniel oversees the Institute’s alliances and engagements, program management and operations. He previously directed MSCI’s climate alliances within the firm’s ESG and climate product team and led MSCI’s ESG and climate marketing strategy.

He joined MSCI from Climate Change Capital, a sustainable asset management and advisory group, and has worked for Microsoft, QinetiQ and the UK government.

Daniel has a bachelor’s in applied psychology and sociology from the University of Surrey.

Rumi Mahmood

Research Director - EMEA

Rumi directs the Institute’s research into capital markets and applied finance and also oversees collaborations with academia. He was previously head of ESG and climate fund research for MSCI ESG Research.

He joined MSCI from J.P. Morgan (Nutmeg Investments), where he was head of fund research and oversaw fund selection and multi-asset ESG integration in active and passive portfolios. He previously worked at BNY Mellon in structuring funds, and at UNICEF, where he researched the impact of clean water infrastructure on social mobility. He began his career at Shell, where he focused on carbon capture and storage in the North Sea.

Rumi received his master’s in engineering from the University of Manchester.

Umar Ashfaq

Research Director - U.S.

Umar directs the Institute’s research into the role of capital in driving the climate transition. He was previously a lead transportation- and logistics-industry analyst with MSCI ESG Research. He joined MSCI from 118 Capital, where he focused on buy-side equity research and investment due diligence in the health care and education industries. He previously headed Teach for Pakistan and was a global fellow with the Acumen Fund.

He received a master’s in environmental science and policy from Columbia University and has a bachelor’s in mathematics from Lahore University of Management Sciences.

Brian Browdie

Content Director

Brian leads the Institute’s content development. He joined MSCI after working as a journalist and editor for a variety of outlets, including Quartz and American Banker. Brian has run content strategy for a mix of companies and held legislative and public affairs posts at the Federal Communications Commission.

He has a master’s in journalism from Columbia University, a law degree from Cornell, and a bachelor’s in English from Washington and Jefferson College.

Caitlin Williams

Marketing Director

Caitlin oversees the development and implementation of the global marketing strategy for the MSCI Sustainability Institute. Prior to her current role, she served as the Head of the EMEA ESG and Climate Marketing at MSCI.

She joined MSCI from Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) where she was responsible for Fixed Income product marketing, before moving to run their marketing automation strategy.

Caitlin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Leeds.