UK's NEST Hires Deputy CIO from PPF

The UK’s National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) has added a deputy CIO to its investment team.

John St. Hill, formerly a portfolio manager at the Pension Protection Fund (PPF), has been hired for the newly created role. He will work with CIO Mark Fawcett and the rest of the team as NEST continues to expand, the trust said.

“We’re delighted John will come on board as deputy chief investment officer,” Fawcett said in a statement. “We’re already looking after over £1.3 billion ($1.6 billion) on behalf of our members and that’s set to grow rapidly over the next few years.”

Fawcett said St. Hill’s appointment adds to “the expertise and experience of the investment team at this crucial time.”

“NEST’s investment team have built a really strong, award-winning investment approach,” St. Hill said. “I’m looking forward to working with Mark Fawcett as the organization continues to focus on giving its members a better income in retirement.”

While at the PPF, St. Hill served as a principal leading the fund’s equity and bond investments. Prior to that role, he was quantitative research director at SEI Investments.

St. Hill has previously held a variety of portfolio management and strategy roles at organizations including IKANO Bank, Steria Mummert Consulting, Coutts Bank, and JP Morgan.

He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.

Related: NEST Appoints New CEO