Former VFMC lead resurfaces at US think tank

Paul Murray, the former interim head of alternatives at the Future Fund and head of portfolio management at VFMC, has resurfaced at a US economic think tank.

As a fellow of AIF Global - the organisation's first non-US fellow - Murray will deal with institutional asset owners in the Asia Pacific.

As he tells it, the role continues the work he did when AIF first expanded into the region in 2014.

"Its goal is to foster the exchange of best ideas, practices and information among institutional asset owners globally to help them achieve their investment objectives," he said.

"In essence, the organisation brings asset owners together, so they can speak amongst themselves."

Murray spent two years at the Future Fund, leaving at the end of 2022 to start his own consultancy.

"When my contract ended, I decided that I didn't want to do exactly the same work I'd done in the past," he said.

He was also keenly aware that industry consolidation has resulted in a glut of senior investment people.

"So establishing a consultancy and working with AIF introducing them to local asset owners was a way of looking for the next career move and assessing opportunities."

Before the Future Fund, he spent 16 years at Victoria Funds Management Corporation.

Earlier he worked for the Reserve Bank of Australia, Macquarie Bank, Bankers Trust and Macquarie Funds Management.

AIF executive director Andrew Messer said: "We are thrilled to have Paul join our other esteemed Fellows and honoured to have you share your thought leadership and investment expertise with the AIF Global community.

Messer is a former chair of the board of trustees for the Oklahoma Public Employee Retirement System and a former Oklahoma State Treasurer.