AustralianSuper finalises UK line-up

AustralianSuper has continued its international expansion with the announcement of several senior UK hires with two of the top recruits having strong ties with the Bank of England.

AustralianSuper deputy chief investment officer Damian Moloney and Carl Astorri - the head of investments for Europe since May - have boosted staff numbers in London by adding: John Normand as head of investment strategy for Europe; Sujay Shah as head of internal government portfolios and Deborah Gilshan who will run of ESG and stewardship for Europe.

Meanwhile, William Manfield is the new head of group risk, international and Amanda Mitchell will head up corporate affairs for Europe.

Interestingly, Astorrie began his career in the Bank of England, first in the wholesale markets supervision division (covering the gilts market) and then as an economist.

For his part, Shah previously held several senior roles at UK's central bank.

Normand, the new head of investment strategy joins from J.P Morgan where he served for 24 years as a cross-asset strategist.

He will lead AustralianSuper's asset allocation research, shaping investment strategies across all major asset classes.

Shah, formerly of Tesco Pension Fund has worked at Goldman Sachs and BMO Global Asset Management.

He will manage the super fund's government bonds portfolios and team in the UK and Australia.

Gilshan, with 22 years' experience in global investment stewardship and ESG integration, previously worked at Railpen, Aberdeen Standard Investments, and the UK's Co-operative Insurance Society. She will now direct AustralianSuper's ESG initiatives in Europe.

Arriving from BNP Paribas Asset Management, Manfield's experience includes stints at Janus Henderson, BlueBay Asset Management, and Schroders. He oversees risk and compliance for AustralianSuper's international offices.

Mitchell - who joins from Macquarie Group, will offer strategic counsel to AustralianSuper's London and New York branches, covering communications, media relations, and government affairs.

Speaking of  AustralianSuper's ongoing search for investment opportunities, Moloney emphasised the importance of the new team.

"Since opening our office in the UK seven years ago, we have sought the best talent to enable us to build our investment platform and improve our global presence, with the aim of driving sustainable long-term performance for more than 3.1 million members," he said.

With capabilities now in place across private, public and capital markets, the London office is now an important investment engine for the fund.

"We're building a high-calibre and experienced team in London to ensure the fund is strategically positioned in a market that will create many opportunities to generate excellent long-term returns for members."

With around half of AustralianSuper's $300 billion in assets currently invested outside of Australia, and more than $40 billion invested in the UK and Europe, these appointments will play a pivotal role in helping the fund to grow its global investment footprint.