Engine of Change Engine No. 1’s first General Counsel, Nate Saint Victor, talks about building the Legal and Compliance team in one of the most influential firms on Wall Street. By Frank McCoy
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N MAY 2021 ENGINE NO. 1 SHOCKED EVERYONE WHEN THE YOUNG investment firm successfully placed three of its nominees on the Exxon Mobil Corporation board of directors. The New York Times wrote that Engine No. 1’s winning strategy “was based on the idea that failing to plan for the impact of climate change could spell the demise of a business” – and ExxonMobil’s largest investors agreed. As many speculate about what Engine No. 1 will do next, Nate Saint Victor, its recently hired General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, has been hard at work building the Legal and Compliance team of what has become one of the more influential firms on Wall Street. Saint Victor, a strategic and innovative leader, is focused on aligning with efforts to diversify corporate legal and compliance departments. In doing so, he may provide a blueprint for others to follow. Saint Victor says his team will play a critical role in helping Engine No. 1’s business and impact grow as it partners with ethically based clients to execute its Total Value Framework – “a data-driven approach to invest-
ing that allows the firm to place a tangible value on the environmental, social and governance (ESG) actions a company takes and then tie those impacts to long-term financial value creation.” The growth and hiring strategy Saint Victor is implementing involves recruiting the most talented individuals with diverse skills to suit the needs of a growing business. “We must hire and cultivate top talent,” he says. “Our team’s goal is to provide thoughtful evaluation and deliver innovative solutions.” Born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Lake Mary, Florida, Saint Victor has had a unique professional trajectory that allowed him to gain a wide range of skills. He says he prepared himself to become a general counsel by taking some strategic risks with his career. The first was deciding to leave Davis Polk & Wardwell after four years and moving to Morgan Stanley to join a mentor from his previous firm. During his 15 years at Morgan Stanley, Saint Victor served in several roles, including his last as an Executive Director, where he focused on counseling the prime bro-
I ask myself, ‘How do I solve problems and build things?’ The goal is to lift others as you climb so younger lawyers can showcase their talent in their own way” —Nate Saint Victor 36 BIHC ANNUAL REPORT
