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

Ezra’s guide to good investment governance

Co chair of global consulting at Russell, Don Ezra, says the progress towards best practice in investment governance is painfully slow. He spoke to Amanda White about why that path is worth enduring and some principles for creating a good governance structure. mrec4inarticleinline Sponsored Content scnative1 scnative2 scnative3

CalPERS collaborates on enterprise risk assessment

The speed with which CalPERS can fulfil its desire to become a risk intelligent organisation has been given a reality check with discussions between the Californian fund and TIAA-CREF revealing it takes two to five years to fully implement an effective enterprise risk-management structure, and importantly a risk intelligent culture in an organisation. mrec4inarticleinline Sponsored

Instos “suppress” their home country biases

Institutional investors continued to suppress home country biases and globalise equity portfolios during 2009, a year in which risk appetite returned as equity markets rallied and short-dated credit strategies thrived, according to manager search data from Mercer Investment Consulting. mrec4inarticleinline Sponsored Content scnative1 scnative2 scnative3

Distressed opportunities spurs internal expansion at Maryland

The $35 billion Maryland State Retirement Agency will increase its internal investment team by 25 per cent as it looks to expand its coverage of market activities and take advantage of opportunities in the distressed market. mrec4inarticleinline Sponsored Content scnative1 scnative2 scnative3

Funds must rethink global equities, says consultant

Mercer Investment Consulting has undertaken a review of global equities and is about to roll out to clients a paper which questions traditional cap-weighted benchmarks. mrec4inarticleinline Sponsored Content scnative1 scnative2 scnative3

Short termism presents opportunities for long-term investors

There is more opportunity to capture value-added returns by focusing on the long-horizon end of the investment spectrum, than join the over-crowded short-horizon end where most investment management is conducted, according to president and chief executive of the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), David Denison. mrec4inarticleinline Sponsored Content scnative1 scnative2 scnative3

Previous