USS appoints Simon Pilcher as Chief Executive of Investment Management
Universities Superannuation Scheme – the UK’s largest private pension scheme by way of assets – has appointed Simon Pilcher as the new Chief Executive Officer of its Investment Management business.
Simon will be responsible for overseeing the investment strategy governing the scheme’s £64 billion in assets, the majority of which are invested in-house, on behalf of over 400,000 members, across both public and private markets around the world.
He will formally join USS in early October 2019, subject to regulatory approval, taking over from Roger Gray who, earlier this year, confirmed his intention to stand down after a decade in the role.
Simon started his career in asset management in 1987 at Morgan Grenfell before moving to Prudential in 1998, a year before it acquired M&G Investments. At M&G Prudential, he led the Fixed Income and Alternatives businesses for two decades before being asked to become Chairman of Real Estate with a combined team of over 500 employees and around £160 bn in assets. He was also a member of the Executive Leadership Team.
During his tenure at M&G Prudential, Simon championed innovation and pioneered new products in Europe, for example: Leveraged Finance, Infrastructure Private Equity, Commercial Mortgage Lending and, more recently, Specialty Finance and Impact Investing.
Bill Galvin, USS Group CEO, said:
“The CEO role at USS Investment Management is critical to the success of our investment strategy and in ensuring we continue to deliver financial security and flexibility in retirement to our members.
“I am delighted to welcome Simon to USS, who not only comes to us with deep expertise of leadership at the highest level in asset management, but also with a firm emphasis on building a strong culture of inclusion as well as a focus on innovation.”
Simon Pilcher said:
“I am pleased and honoured to be joining USS, the leading pension scheme in the UK. USS has a long history of progressive thinking and an outstanding record of delivering strong risk-adjusted returns. I look forward to serving the many members of USS who rely on it for their long-term financial security.”