responsAbility Investments AG has appointed Nadia Nikolova as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer, subject to regulatory approval.

She will take office on September,1 2025, joining from Allianz Global Investors, where she was Head of Direct Lending, responsible for managing private credit teams across Europe and Asia with over EUR 11 billion in assets under management.

Nikolova brings over a decade of experience in private markets and impact investing. 

She successfully scaled its blended finance strategy, led co-investments alongside development finance institutions, with two flagship funds and raised over EUR 4.5 billion in capital, including the launch of an impact private credit strategy focusing on small cap impact companies in Europe.

In 2019, she established Allianz Global Investors’ sustainable and impact credit investment team.

Nikolova began her career at Citigroup in London, working in infrastructure finance and credit restructuring.

Emmanuel Deblanc, Chair of the Board of responsAbility and Chief Investment Officer of M&G’s Private Markets business, said: “We look forward to welcoming Nadia to responsAbility – a business that is important to the growth of our private markets strategy as investors seek managers with proven track records in financial inclusion, climate finance and sustainable food. responsAbility has unrivalled expertise in these areas, which benefit M&G’s wider EUR 90 billion private markets business, and with Nadia’s leadership and success in scaling impact strategies, we will further our ambitions to the benefit of societies, the environment and investors.”

Rochus Mommartz, who has led responsAbility since 2016, has decided to retire at the end of the year after more than two decades with the company.

Mommartz has been instrumental in shaping the company since its inception in 2003.

As CEO, he led the company’s strategic development, expanded into new impact themes, and oversaw its successful integration into M&G plc in 2022.

Under his leadership, responsAbility’s assets under management doubled to USD 5.6 billion, strengthening its position as a leading impact asset manager in emerging and frontier markets.

Deblanc said: “Rochus has not only made a significant contribution to responsAbility but has been a pioneer of the impact investing industry, which has gained traction in recent years. Communities and lives have been transformed across emerging markets where patient capital is carefully deployed – a legacy Rochus should be very proud of. We wish him the very best for his forthcoming retirement”.

Rochus Mommartz, CEO of responsAbility, added: “I have had the privilege to witness the emergence of the impact investment market – and to see the real difference it makes in people’s lives. It has been an exceptional honour to work alongside so many passionate colleagues at responsAbility, our investees and partners. I can only encourage investors to stay the course – it truly changes lives for people who still lack opportunity.”

Nikolova, incoming CEO of responsAbility, said: “I’m honoured to join responsAbility at such a pivotal time in the evolution of impact investing. For more than two decades, responsAbility delivered measurable outcomes across financial inclusion, climate finance and sustainable food – areas I’m deeply passionate about. I’m excited to build upon this foundation working with the team and M&G to scale innovative, high-impact strategies that aim to deliver financial performance to our clients that generate long-term measurable positive impact for our communities.”