Nikolova to take office on 1 September 2025, joining from Allianz Global Investors where she led Direct Lending and oversaw over EUR 11 billion in assets.
Her appointment signals a strategic push to scale responsAbility’s sustainable finance and private credit strategies, building on a proven track record in blended finance and impact credit.
Outgoing CEO Rochus Mommartz retires after 20+ years, having doubled AUM to USD 5.6 billion and positioned responsAbility as a global leader in emerging market impact investing.
The Board of responsAbility Investments AG has appointed Nadia Nikolova as its next CEO, effective 1 September 2025, pending regulatory approval. She joins from Allianz Global Investors, where she was Head of Direct Lending and managed private credit teams across Europe and Asia with over EUR 11 billion in assets under management.
With more than a decade of experience in private markets, impact investing, and infrastructure finance, Nikolova brings a proven record of scaling sustainable finance. At Allianz, she launched the firm’s sustainable and impact credit team in 2019, driving blended finance strategies and co-investments with development finance institutions. Her leadership raised over EUR 4.5 billion in capital across two flagship funds, including a private credit strategy focused on small-cap impact companies in Europe.
“I’m honoured to join responsAbility at such a pivotal time in the evolution of impact investing,” said Nadia Nikolova. “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.”
Nikolova succeeds Rochus Mommartz, who will retire at the end of 2025 after leading the company since 2016 and serving for over 20 years. Under his leadership, responsAbility expanded into new impact themes, doubled its assets under management to USD 5.6 billion, and successfully integrated into M&G plc in 2022.
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“Rochus has not only made a significant contribution to responsAbility but has been a pioneer of the impact investing industry,” said Emmanuel Deblanc, Chair of the Board of responsAbility and CIO of M&G’s Private Markets business. “Communities and lives have been transformed across emerging markets where patient capital is carefully deployed – a legacy Rochus should be very proud of.”
Mommartz reflected on his tenure: “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.”
M&G sees Nikolova’s appointment as a key step in reinforcing its EUR 90 billion private markets strategy.
“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,” Deblanc said. “With Nadia’s leadership and success in scaling impact strategies, we will further our ambitions to the benefit of societies, the environment and investors.”
responsAbility’s mission remains unchanged: to mobilise capital in emerging markets and deliver measurable social and environmental impact alongside competitive financial returns.
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