AsianInvesterAsianInvester
Advertisement

Weekly roundup of people news, July 30

Future Fund internally appoints deputy CIO for portfolio strategy; CPPIB promotes Suyi Kim to run global private equity; NPS extends CIO term for second time; Willis Towers Watson appoints Australian investments head; Knight Frank promotes Apac director to run global capital strategies; Natixis Investment Managers names head of distribution for Emea.
Weekly roundup of people news, July 30

FUTURE FUND APPOINTS DEPUTY CIO FOR PORTFOLIO STRATEGY

Ben Samild

Australia’s sovereign wealth fund Future Fund has appointed Ben Samild as its deputy chief investment officer for portfolio strategy, it announced on Thursday (July 29).

He will take up the role “in a few weeks”, according to a statement that did not specify a date.

He is currently head of alternatives at the fund, with responsibility for A$30 billion ($22.1 billion) worth of assets across hedge fund and other skill-based absolute return strategies.

In his new role, Samild will lead portfolio construction and dynamic asset allocation, helping identify sector-specific opportunities and the development of views on emerging markets.

Samild replaces Sue Brake, who vacated the role after being appointed chief investment officer in December. He will be a member of the organisation’s investment committee and its senior leadership team, and will report directly to Brake.

A search is underway for the head of alternatives position.

CPPIB APPOINTS SUYI KIM TO HEAD GLOBAL PRIVATE EQUITY 

Suyi Kim

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) announced the promotion of Suyi Kim to senior managing director and global head of private equity. The appointment is effective September 15.

Kim will replace Shane Feeney, whose departure CPPIB announced last month. Feeney will join private equity firm Northleaf Capital Partners as global head of secondaries, based in Toronto.

Hong-Kong based Kim is currently senior managing director and head of Asia Pacific. She will continue to be a member of the senior management team in her new role and continue to report to John Graham, president and chief executive officer.

A spokesperson for CPPIB said the firm would appoint a new head of Asia Pacific in due course. In the meantime, Kim will carry out both roles.

Kim joined CPPIB in 2007. She opened the firm’s Hong Kong office in 2008 led CPP Investments’ private equity business in Asia before taking on her current role. She was previously a portfolio manager at Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and senior associate at The Carlyle Group. 

NPS RE-EXTENDS CIO TERM FOR FIRST TIME

The world’s third-largest pension fund, Korea’s National Pension Service, announced on Thursday (July 29) that it has re-extended the term of its chief investment officer Ahn Hyo-joon for one more year to October 7, 2022, as it strives to hit the target of W1 quadrillion ($871 billion) of assets.

Ahn Hyo-joon

 

This is the first time the $770 billion pension fund has extended the CIO’s term twice since its founding in 1988. Ahn was handed the baton in October 2018 under a two-year term.

Under his management, the largest pension fund in Korea posted strongest return of 11.31% in 2019, and 9.7% in 2020 despite the pandemic, outperforming benchmarks across all asset classes.

NPS chairman and chief executive officer Kim Yong-jin said in an announcement that he expects Ahn to set a precedent for CIO’s long-term tenure like foreign pension funds, if his competency is well recognised.

With the extension, Ahn is expected to continue to strengthen NPS’s operational capabilities internally, including enhancing risk management for diversified investments into alternative assets. Externally, he will lead NPS in establishing strategic partnerships with global pension funds and managers to improve long-term performance, NPS said.

WILLIS TOWERS WATSON APPOINTS AUSTRALIAN INVESTMENTS LEAD

Aongus O'Gorman

Global advisory company Willis Towers Watson has appointed Aongus O’Gorman to lead the Australian investments team.

O’Gorman will take up the head of investments position on August 1 and report to Taro Ogai, head of investments in Asia Pacific. He is currently head of delegated and specialist solutions, and has been with the firm since 2015.

He replaces Martin Goss, who has pivoted to a different role to focus on client consulting. His new title will be senior director for investments Australia, also effective from August 1.

Goss is based in Melbourne, while O'Gorman is based in Sydney.

O’Gorman has a career that spans 25 years, starting off as a hedge fund manager within a family office in Dublin before moving onto portfolio management roles at government-owned investment company QIC and his own consulting business in the 2000s.

KNIGHT FRANK PROMOTES ASIA PACIFIC DIRECTOR TO GLOBAL ROLE

Emily Relf

Knight Frank, a global real estate adviser, has promoted Emily Relf, A director in its Asia Pacific capital markets division, to head of global capital strategies, effective July 26.

Based in Singapore, Emily will continue to report to Neil Brookes, who was recently appointed to lead global capital markets, also based in Singapore.

Relf has been in Singapore since 2015 after joining Knight Frank as a graduate in London in 2011. A replacement for the Asia Pacific director will be announced in due course, according to the spokesperson at the firm.  

NATIXIS IM NAMES EMEA HEAD OF DISTRIBUTION

Joseph Pinto

Natixis Investment Managers named Joseph Pinto as head of distribution for Europe, Latin America, Middle East and Asia Pacific, overseeing client-related activities and support functions for these regions. He was previously chief operating officer at the company.

France-based Pinto, who began in his new role on July 27, will continue to report to Tim Ryan, member of the Natixis Senior Management Committee. 

Pinto has 20 years of experience in the financial sector, including three with Natixis IM after first joining as COO in 2019. Previously, he also worked for Crédit Lyonnais, McKinsey and AXA.

A spokesman told AsianInvestor that the COO functions have been integrated into the role of chief administration officer, Christophe Lanne. 

¬ Haymarket Media Limited. All rights reserved.
Advertisement