AustralianSuper hires HR leader in the UK

AustralianSuper has appointed Pip Leonard head of people and culture, international ahead of shifting more staff offshore in line with the pension scheme's global expansion.

The $250 billion super fund confirmed that Leonard will report to Michele Glover (pictured), group executive, head of people and culture.

The recruit joins from Wells Fargo where she was most recently the director for talent and performance management.

Before her seven-year stint with the US banking giant, Leonard worked at Barclays, finally landing a job as the global resourcing program lead.

Earlier, she was at BNP Paribas Securities Services, where after almost eight years, she was appointed head of experienced hire and graduate recruitment.

During her time with BNP, Leonard worked in Sydney for eight months.

This appointment is hardly surprising since AustralianSuper has repeatedly told members that it is expanding its international network of offices as part of an overall growth strategy.

By 2024, the fund will have just over 100 people in London and just under 100 in New York, according to an AustralianSuper spokesperson on Thursday.

Australia's largest pension scheme plans to invest $43 billion in the UK and Europe over the next five years and is boosting the number of offshore staff accordingly.

A solid 50 percent of the fund is already invested offshore, including in such assets as Heathrow airport and London's King's Cross redevelopment project.

The Aussie asset owner joins other fast-growing pension schemes, looking to increase investment in global private markets.