Root Capital, an agricultural impact investor, has appointed Peter Bernard as the organization’s first Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective March 1, 2016.

As COO at Root Capital, Bernard will oversee the organization’s lending, risk, advisory services, and talent functions.

“I’m passionate about Root Capital, its mission, and the clients it has so successfully served for more than 15 years. I am excited to play a role in taking the organization’s performance, risk management, and impact to another level,” said incoming COO Bernard.

Bernard will join Root Capital from D.E. Shaw & Company, a global investment and technology development firm, where he currently serves as Chief Risk Officer.

Previously, he was President, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Financial Officer at AlphaSimplex Group, a Cambridge-based investment management firm.

From 2000 to 2004, Bernard was the Chief Financial Officer at RiskMetrics Group, a New York-based company which specializes in risk management software and data.

In 1994, he co-founded New Bond Trading, an investment management firm specializing in fixed-income arbitrage, and was president of the company until 2000.

Prior to that, Bernard was managing director of J.P. Morgan & Co., where his 15 years of service included running Latin America.

For the last six years, he has served on the Root Capital board of directors, mostly recent as vice chair.

Willy Foote, Root Capital Founder and CEO, said: “Peter has deep expertise in financial markets, global banking, risk management, and organizational development. He brings three decades of experience and accomplishment in the capital markets, along with a significant appreciation and respect for Root Capital, our clients, and the impact we seek. We’re thrilled to have him join the team.”

Root Capital’s appointment of a COO is in conjunction with a new organizational design that seeks to optimize performance, lower risk, and improve client satisfaction.

Another key change is the elevation of the following regional leaders to general managers.

Once responsible for only lending performance, these new general managers are now accountable for the collective performance of lending, advisory services, and client services in their respective regions.

In the African region, Diaka Sall was promoted to West Africa’s general manager, and Fred Kiteng’e to East & Southern Africa’s general manager.

Sall has overseen Root Capital lending in West Africa since joining the organization in 2011.

Previously, she worked at Citibank Senegal as a relationship manager and credit analyst.

She has also consulted for the World Bank, African Development Bank, and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

Kiteng’e has overseen Root Capital lending in East and Southern Africa since joining the organization in 2010.

Previously, he worked at GroFin as a senior business development manager and at Standard Chartered Bank as a small and medium enterprise manager.