MSCI Nabs Ex-Alaska Permanent Fund CIO

Russell Read

Russell Read, the former Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. chief investment officer, is joining index analytics firm MSCI.

His new job, managing director and global head of client solutions, will based in London. Read will also be a member of MSCI’s executive committee. He will start in September.

Read’s new boss, Laurent Seyer, chief operating officer and chief client officer, said Read’s  experience and prowess in the public and private investment markets would “benefit our clients as we strengthen our capabilities across asset classes.”

During his time with the $65 billion Alaska fund, Read bolstered the corporation’s long-term investment strategies. He also built up its governance structure. Towards the end of his two-year stint, Read launched a $1 billion private equity seeding platform with the UK Railways Pension Scheme and asset manager Wafra Group.

Read resigned from the Alaskan sovereign wealth fund last week. Marcus Frampton, head of real assets and absolute return, is the current acting CIO as the fund searches for his replacement.

Read was also a former CIO of the $357 billion California Public Employees’ Retirement System, which is also hunting for a new chief.