Mikael Down is an Executive Director and Head of EMEA Sustainable Finance at a major global financial services firm, where he leads the development of new sustainable finance products, solutions, and partnerships across the region.

With a career spanning the public, private, and non-profit sectors, Mikael has played a leading role in shaping UK financial regulation and advancing ethical standards in financial services, through senior leadership roles at HM Treasury, the Financial Conduct Authority, and the Banking Standards Board. He has also led several initiatives to promote socio-economic diversity and inclusion within and across the sector.

Mikael is an Industry Professor at University College London, a Fellow at the Forward Institute, and sits on the Impact Investing Institute’s Advisory Council. He holds an MA in Economics from the University of Cambridge and is currently pursuing a PhD in Artificial Intelligence and Ethics at the University of Leeds.