Calling All Rocket Scientists: CERN is Recruiting

The Swiss-based CERN Pension Fund is officially on the hunt for new CEO to replace Theodore Economou, who will leave at the end of his term next year.

An advertisement posted online says the CEO will “lead a management team that will include a chief investment officer and a head of benefits”. Economou took on the role of CIO in 2012 following the departure of Gregoire Haenni, but the CHF4 billion ($4.4 billion) pension is set to split the CEO and CIO roles again.

The successful candidate will require a master’s degree in finance, economics, or “equivalent fields”, and will serve an initial term of three years. The appointment and subsequent reappointments will be decided by CERN’s council.

The new CEO can expect a salary of between roughly £127,000 and £150,000 a year, according to the job advert. The closing date for applications is September 20, and candidates should apply directly to CERN.

During his six-year spell at the helm of the CERN pension, Economou and his team have restructured the fund, replacing its return-based approach with a risk-based one. Following his departure he will seek to distribute this “CERN Model” to institutional investors more widely.

The CERN pension won CIO’s Industry Innovation Award in 2012 for the “Best Public Pension Plan – Below $15 Billion”.

Related Content: CERN Revolutionizes Risk Management & Economou to Step Down from CERN Pension