Lower management fees and higher returns defined the latest selection process at the Swedish Fund Selection Agency in its latest awarding of active global equity mandates to 12 managers, its largest and most ambitious €20 billion ($23 billion) procurement so far.
In a recent board meeting, trustees at APFC heard from governance experts on the importance of self evaluation; why rules around trustee contact with investment staff are important and how more board members could support oversight at the sovereign wealth fund.
Dutch fund PFZW manages to keep a lid on costs which fell to 0.42 per cent of invested capital last year, comfortably below its target of no more than 0.50 per cent of assets. Economies of scale pay off despite private markets accounting for well over three quarters of total.
As the Australian superannuation funds evolve and get bigger they face a question of whether to copy the organisational structures of their bigger, more sophisticated Canadian counterparts, or find their own way that more adequately befits some of their unique features and better serves members.
Managing costs is the central driver behind €470 Dutch civil service scheme ABP’s recent decision to switch much of its public market allocation to passive, index-led strategies, according to a spokesperson at the fund. The low-cost strategy at Europe’s largest pension fund is accompanied by sustainability and simplification priorities.
Increased scrutiny on the transparency of disclosures is driving measurable improvements among some of the world’s largest asset owners, as refinements to the Global Pension Transparency Benchmark methodologies and board oversight boost attention on transparency.
CalPERS stands out among its global peers with three women leading the organisation as chair, CEO and CIO. Amanda White spent time (on zoom) with the group to find out what drives the leadership team and how collaboration and a shared mission are creating an innovative investment culture.
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