10th Annual CIO Summit Insights Wow Attendees

Photo by Matt Kalinowski

A broad panoply of vital subjects, ranging from environment, social and governance (ESG) to infrastructure to emerging markets, got a good dose of analysis at our 10^th Annual CIO Summit last week.

During this two-day gathering held at the Harvard Club in New York City, chief investment officers and other top financial professionals weighed in on several exciting topics and what they’re seeing in today’s ever-changing climate.

The summit, dubbed “Team Building and Smart Investing in a Topsy-Turvy World,” chewed over trends, opportunities, and problem areas. The attendees, several of which have been CIO Industry Innovation Award winners, covered innovations in tech, such as automation, the future of work, and how self-driving shared ride services will play into our daily lives.

They examined board and manager policies, as well as challenges CIOs are facing, such as talent retention, and how to best handle the political balance.

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One example of an alternative investment area: farmland, which had been great for some, less so for others. How and when investors enter that sector are the crucial factors.

Emerging markets and geopolitics also generated lots of talk as CIOs and peers discussed where things are going globally, what’s attractive, and what’s worked for them in these areas given the current climate.

The CIO Summit also saw a variety of engaging presentations and fireside chats covering everything from big data to alts to geopolitics.

Several CIO NextGens from 2018’s inaugural class and this year’s upcoming honorees were in attendance. While CIO can’t give those names away until the list of 2019 NextGens launches, we can say they made their presence known at the Harvard Club.

Also announced was the opening of nominations for our 10^th annual Industry Innovation Awards, which will take place at the New York Public Library on December 12. The ceremony showcases the best and brightest in the institutional world, and highlights innovations from top CIOs in the public and private arenas. Asset owners and managers can nominate their favorite innovators by clicking here and filling out the nomination form, which closes August 3.

At the end of the event, CIOs were invited to an exclusive closed-door session moderated by top CIOs on what’s really keeping these investment officials up at night. The private discussion put a tightly wound bow on the annual conference, which attending CIOs agreed was a can’t-miss event.

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CIO Innovation Awards: Nominations Open

Tags: chief investment officers, CIO Summit, Conference, Pension

Simon Pilcher

The Universities Superannuation Scheme has found a replacement for Roger Gray, its retiring chief executive and chief investment officer.

Simon Pilcher will become head of the $83 billion British college pension organization’s investment management business in October. Gray, who spent 10 years at the helm of the UK’s largest defined benefit plan, in February announced his retirement, which is slated for September.

Pilcher spent the majority of his 30-plus years in asset management at Prudential, joining a year before it acquired M&G Investments in 1998. He was previously its head of institutional fixed income and chairman of real estate, where he helped expand the program from bonds to areas that include leveraged finance, infrastructure, and mortgage lending. Before that, he spent more than 10 years at Morgan Grenfell.

M&G Prudential is currently doing a de-merger as it looks to spin off the business. It recently hired a slew of new directors ahead of the plans. As part of the structural changes, Pilcher left his post in March. He was succeeded by Jack Daniels, its new CIO.

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Bill Galvin, the superannuation group’s CEO, said Pilcher comes with high-level leadership and “a firm emphasis on building a strong culture of inclusion as well as a focus on innovation.”

At the fund, Pilcher will run a 140-person team and inherit a portfolio in the midst of making similar moves to what he experienced at Prudential. This includes shifting its traditional stocks and bonds asset mix to include alternatives and internalizing more of its investments.

As of March 31, the Universities Superannuation Scheme’s allocations were 44.1% equities, 23.7% private markets, 13.7% national government bonds, 11.9% inflation-linked bonds, 8.1% credit, 3% absolute return, 1% commodities, and -5.5% cash.

Gray, Pilcher, and Galvin could not be reached for comment.

Tags: Pension, Roger Gray, Simon Pilcher, UK, Universities Superannuation Scheme