Whineray takes the reins at NZ Super

New Zealand Super has appointed Matt Whineray chief executive, a role he’s been acting in since March.

Whineray joined the organisation 10 years ago as general manager of private markets; since 2014, he has been chief investment officer of the Guardians, the Crown entity charged with managing the investment of the NZ$38 billion NZ Super ($26.3 billion).

Whineray replaces Adrian Orr, the fund’s long-time chief executive who last year became the new governor of the Reserve Bank New Zealand.

NZ Super chair Catherine Savage says Whineray was the stand-out amid a high-quality field of international applicants.

“He has been instrumental in the Guardians’ successes over the last decade and is recognised globally as a leader in institutional investment,” Savage says. “The board has the utmost confidence in his leadership ability, intelligence and integrity.

“The board looks forward to seeing the NZ Super Fund continue to exemplify investment best practice and create value for taxpayers.”

Sponsored Content

In accepting the top role at NZ Super, Whineray thanked the board for its confidence in him and said he was delighted to take the leadership position.

“The NZ Super Fund is one of the most exciting places to work in institutional investment globally and I am looking forward to the challenge immensely,” Whineray says.

Whineray will take on his role in July. A new chief investment officer has not yet been announced.

NZ Super has most of its money invested internationally, with $30 billion in global markets and $5 billion in New Zealand across industries such as agriculture, farming, banking and aged care.

The fund’s one-year return was 20.7 per cent at the end of the 2017 financial year, with 4.37 per cent added above the passive reference portfolio benchmark. The fund’s 10-year return is 8.63 per cent and since inception it has returned 10.22 per cent.

For more stories on New Zealand Super click here 

Leave a Comment

Sort content by

Californian funds told to invest in their own backyard

California Treasurer Bill Lockyer (pictured) sent his deputy Steve Coony to a recent CalPERS board meeting to tell the pension fund they needed to do more to invest in their own backyard. Coony shares his views with conexust1f.flywheelstaging.com on how public pension funds can play a greater role in boosting California’s ailing economy. mrec4inarticleinline Sponsored

De-risking is de rigueur, survey finds

Investors are looking to continue to scale-back their exposure to US equities, increase their allocation to fixed-interest assets and strongly focus on the liability side of their balance sheets, a recent survey of funds in the US and Europe found.mrec4inarticleinline Sponsored Content scnative1 scnative2 scnative3

Bernanke throws the dice as funds look on bemused

Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke’s speech at the International Monetary Conference this week reveals the delicate balance between the (stagnant) state of the US economy and the enormous growth of the emerging market economies.mrec4inarticleinline Sponsored Content scnative1 scnative2 scnative3

Avoiding misinterpretation in calculating performance-based fees

Performance-based fee compensation relies on performance fee models that require that specific parameters be clearly stipulated in the investment management agreeement. This case study is one example of the misinterpretation that can occur when the fee model’s parameters are not specifically defined. mrec4inarticleinline Sponsored Content scnative1 scnative2 scnative3

Commodities demand a fundamentally active approach

Investing in commodities via passive strategies presents some unique challenges due in part to the structure of futures contracts. GE Asset Management which has been managing commodities for the GE pension fund for five years, and opened that expertise to external clients last year, believes a better approach is active management using fundamentals. mrec4inarticleinline Sponsored

CalPERS’ alternatives SIO has responsibilities reinstated

The newly appointed senior investment officer of the alternative investments management program at CalPERS, Real Desrochers, will have authority and management delegation reinstated after it was withdrawn when the former SIO resigned amid a fraud lawsuit.mrec4inarticleinline Sponsored Content scnative1 scnative2 scnative3

Previous