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

Ethics not returns drive AP7’s ESG policy

Returns are a secondary consideration to the ethical values of members when framing the socially responsible investment policy of Swedish fund AP7. AP7’s head of communications, Johan Floren, says that the fund is less concerned with socially responsible investment (SRI) as a driver of returns rather than as a reflection of the values and ethics

Index providers push into active managers’ domain

Index construction is pushing the boundaries of active management, with index providers launching products such as high beta to take advantage of market movements. S&P Indices is the latest to add to its family of high-beta indexes, recently launching two indexes of developed and emerging markets. Alka Banerjee, S&P Indices’ vice president of strategy and

Advancing the DB versus DC debate

It is possible for the best elements of defined benefit (DB) schemes to be applied to defined contribution (DC) schemes, by replicating real deferred annuities to produce superior pension outcomes for members, according to a new paper by APG. The paper, How to mimic DB-like benefits in a DC product, does what it says. It

Investors favour credit

Towers Watson’s negative outlook for bonds and its advice to increase allocations to high quality credit is being reflected in portfolio shifts by institutional investors.mrec4inarticleinline Sponsored Content scnative1 scnative2 scnative3

EPFR cumulative weekly flows into major fund groups

Source: EPFR Global.mrec4inarticleinline Sponsored Content scnative1 scnative2 scnative3

Six ways to satisfaction, SEC told

The Securities and Exchange Commission should reinstate the investor advisory committee it abandoned in 2010 as part of a wider commitment to address near-term financial market reform, a group of institutional investors from across the globe have stated. The investors, who represent combined assets of $1.6 trillion, wrote to SEC chairman Mary Schaprio calling for

Previous