Leaders in Investment - IPE

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Episodes

Latest episode

Jul 2026

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EN-GB

About the show

Leaders in Investment An IPE and IPE Real Assets podcast In this new podcast series from IPE and IPE Real Assets, members of our editorial team speak to leading figures in the institutional investor community to curate a library of in-depth, focused content. Conversations with chief investment officers and other asset-owner leaders will range across beliefs, objectives, investment philosophy, strategy and outlook. Capturing diversity of thinking towards mainstream and alternative investments, both liquid and illiquid, conversations will dive into investment governance, strategic and tactical asset allocation, implementation, in-house teams, manager hiring and firing, sustainability and how to deal with partners and stakeholders. Engaging with asset owners both in Europe and beyond, this series will provide unique access to the thinking that guides their decisions. The result will be a valuable library of downloadable insights into what motivates both individuals, teams, boards and trustees as they set about achieving their long-term investment goals with a view to improving the retirement outcomes of hundreds of millions of pension holders. Our hosts Liam Kennedy – Editorial Director, IPE Richard Lowe – Editor, IPE Real Assets

Listen to episodes

33 recent

July 30, 202635 min

#31 Leaders in Investment podcast: Chris Hitchen – Chair of the Nuclear Liabilities Fund

In conversation with Liam Kennedy, Editorial Director, IPE In this episode of Leaders in Investment, Chris Hitchen, one of the UK’s most experienced pension fund professionals, shares insights from a career spent managing long-term capital and institutional portfolios. As chair of the Nuclear Liabilities Fund, he oversees one of the country’s most genuinely long-term pools of capital. The conversation explores how investors can position portfolios for the future while balancing opportunity, resilience and responsibility. The conversation also includes the role of non execs and trustees in institutional investment, why allocations to domestic infrastructure and private markets opportunities can make sense, insights on building out in-house teams and a long-term focused investment culture and private markets across the pension spectrum, including DC. “It’s natural for us to want to invest in things which will benefit UK citizens.” In this podcast series from IPE and IPE Real Assets, members of our editorial team speak to leading figures in the institutional investor community to curate a library of in-depth, focused content. Conversations with chief investment officers and other asset-owner leaders will range across beliefs, objectives, investment philosophy, strategy and outlook. Engaging with asset owners both in Europe and beyond, this series will provide unique access to the thinking that guides their decisions. If you like what you hear, do tell friends and colleagues, and please let us know us what you think by contacting us on podcasts@ipe.com . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

July 17, 202627 min

#32 Leaders in Investment podcast: Francois Trausch – CEO and CIO of PIMCO Prime Real Estate

In conversation with Richard Lowe, Editor in Chief, IPE Real Assets In this episode of Leaders in Investment, Francois Trausch talks about how he invests €78bn in real estate on behalf of insurance giant Allianz. He discusses real estate investment at scale, AI’s potential to reshape cities and how in this unusual period, secular and cyclical forces are overlapping. The conversation also includes carbon reduction as both an environmental and geopolitical imperative, the emergence of defence spending as a new real estate theme and how investors should consider potential alternative uses of assets from the start. This episode of Leaders in Investment is sponsored by UBS . “I think real estate just has to work harder now to ensure that it remains attractive.” In this podcast series from IPE and IPE Real Assets, members of our editorial team speak to leading figures in the institutional investor community to curate a library of in-depth, focused content. Conversations with chief investment officers and other asset-owner leaders will range across beliefs, objectives, investment philosophy, strategy and outlook. Engaging with asset owners both in Europe and beyond, this series will provide unique access to the thinking that guides their decisions. If you like what you hear, do tell friends and colleagues, and please let us know us what you think by contacting us on podcasts@ipe.com . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June 24, 202615 min

#30 Leaders in Investment podcast: Robert-Jan Foortse – Managing Director European Real Estate, APG

In this episode of Leaders in Investment, Robert-Jan Foortse, Managing Director of European Real Estate at APG, manager of the Netherlands’ largest pension fund, discusses the fund’s real estate allocation, its attitude to risk and the impact it is creating via a €5bn investment in Dutch affordable housing. The conversation also includes the fund’s increased appetite for private markets investments, their decision to have less leverage than before the global financial crisis, and how APG is reflecting future energy costs and climate considerations into investment decisions. This episode of Leaders in Investment is sponsored by UBS . “If you don’t want to call it the E for Environment or the S for Sustainability, then at least call it the R for resilience.” In this podcast series from IPE and IPE Real Assets, members of our editorial team speak to leading figures in the institutional investor community to curate a library of in-depth, focused content. Conversations with chief investment officers and other asset-owner leaders will range across beliefs, objectives, investment philosophy, strategy and outlook. Engaging with asset owners both in Europe and beyond, this series will provide unique access to the thinking that guides their decisions. If you like what you hear, do tell friends and colleagues, and please let us know us what you think by contacting us on podcasts@ipe.com . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 28, 202628 min

#29 Leaders in Investment podcast: Rasmus Bessing, Co-Chief Investment Officer Responsible Investments and Investment Products, PFA

In conversation with Liam Kennedy, Editorial Director, IPE. In this episode of IPE’s Leaders in Investment, Rasmus Bessing, Co-Chief Investment Officer Responsible Investments and Investment Products and PFA – Denmark’s largest pension – discusses the fund’s decision to create an ESG framework to guide their investment in defence across asset classes. The conversation covers getting the combination right between risk/return and buying into Europe’s re-armament, focusing on the governance of defence sector investees to ensure weapons do not wind up in the wrong hand post-conflict and understanding the ESG and supply chain risks inherent in defence investment. “We don't consider defence a sustainable investment but we consider it a responsible investment.” In this podcast series from IPE and IPE Real Assets, members of our editorial team speak to leading figures in the institutional investor community to curate a library of in-depth, focused content. Conversations with chief investment officers and other asset-owner leaders will range across beliefs, objectives, investment philosophy, strategy and outlook. Engaging with asset owners both in Europe and beyond, this series will provide unique access to the thinking that guides their decisions. If you like what you hear, do tell friends and colleagues, and please let us know us what you think by contacting us on podcasts@ipe.com . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 14, 202636 min

#28 Leaders in Investment podcast: Cecile Retaureau, Head of Private Markets, Standard Life

In conversation with Liam Kennedy, Editorial Director, IPE. In this episode of IPE’s Leaders in Investment, Cecile Retaureau, Head of Private Markets for retirement and insurance provider Standard Life, discusses how the transfer of DB pensions risk and the growth of defined contribution, pensions and retail savings products are fuelling the company’s growing private markets allocation. Their conversation covers how they will invest in alignment with the UK’s Mansion House Accord; making the fee structure for DC savers competitive while ensuring the private markets allocation remains meaningful and views on the suitability of private credit investment for different types of investors. "In the private markets stream we are lucky enough to see, transaction by transaction, the impact we have on society and the environment." In this podcast series from IPE and IPE Real Assets, members of our editorial team speak to leading figures in the institutional investor community to curate a library of in-depth, focused content. Conversations with chief investment officers and other asset-owner leaders will range across beliefs, objectives, investment philosophy, strategy and outlook. Engaging with asset owners both in Europe and beyond, this series will provide unique access to the thinking that guides their decisions. If you like what you hear, do tell friends and colleagues, and please let us know us what you think by contacting us on podcasts@ipe.com . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

April 28, 202632 min

#27 Leaders in Investment podcast: Marija Simpraga and Raymond Wright, Co-Heads of Real Assets, People’s Partnership

In this episode of IPE’s Leaders in Investment, Marija Simpraga and Raymond Wright, Co-Heads of Real Assets at People’s Partnership discuss how they are building their fund’s £4bn real assets investment portfolio from the ground up, focusing on the manager selection process for their infrastructure mandate; their goal of becoming a reliable partner of choice for co-investment opportunities and considering their members’ young average age as a key reason to lean into the growth aspect of real assets. This episode of Leaders in Investment is sponsored by UBS. “The case for investing in energy transitions only becomes stronger as a result of political uncertainty” In this podcast series from IPE and IPE Real Assets, members of our editorial team speak to leading figures in the institutional investor community to curate a library of in-depth, focused content. Conversations with chief investment officers and other asset-owner leaders will range across beliefs, objectives, investment philosophy, strategy and outlook. Engaging with asset owners both in Europe and beyond, this series will provide unique access to the thinking that guides their decisions. If you like what you hear, do tell friends and colleagues, and please let us know us what you think by contacting us on podcasts@ipe.com . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

February 26, 202624 min

#26 Leaders in Investment podcast: Harold Clijsen, CEO and Anne Kock, Investment Committee Chair and Trustee of Pensioenfonds PGB

In this episode of IPE’s Leaders in Investment, Harold Clijsen, CEO and Anne Kock, Investment Committee Chair and Trustee of Pensioenfonds PGB talk about how they make investment decisions for the fund, a conglomerate of 16 pension fund sector clients serving more than 4,000 companies for upward of 450,000 employees. They discuss their fund’s shift toward more illiquid assets, incorporating an impact framework; methods used to gather members’ perspectives and incorporate them into investment decisions; their operational and technical plans for moving into the new Dutch pension system and how PGB’s board and executive management have evolved their working relationship, and how they divide responsibilities. “The times are changing and we need fresh ideas to accommodate this and to stay flexible.” In this podcast series from IPE and IPE Real Assets, members of our editorial team speak to leading figures in the institutional investor community to curate a library of in-depth, focused content. Conversations with chief investment officers and other asset-owner leaders will range across beliefs, objectives, investment philosophy, strategy and outlook. Engaging with asset owners both in Europe and beyond, this series will provide unique access to the thinking that guides their decisions. If you like what you hear, do tell friends and colleagues, and please let us know us what you think by contacting us on podcasts@ipe.com . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

December 15, 202540 min

#25 Leaders in Investment podcast: Simon Pilcher, Chief Executive Officer, USS Investment Management

In conversation with Liam Kennedy, Editorial Director, IPE. In this episode of IPE’s Leaders in Investment, Simon Pilcher, CEO of USS Investment Management, asset manager for the UK’s £77bn Universities Superannuation Scheme discusses their role as a universal owner, the advantages of running an open defined benefit scheme and successfully moving the scheme from a deficit position to a £10bn+ surplus. The discussion covers the fund’s high allocation to private markets and significant in-house investment capability which supports that; their decision to right-size investment risk by increasing exposure to rates and to inflation and their goal for its portfolio to be net carbon zero by 2050 or earlier. This episode of Leaders in Investment is sponsored by PGIM. “We need to get governments and regulators to make it not only financially viable for people to change, but also easy for people to change. Let's make it easy for people to decarbonise.” In this podcast series from IPE and IPE Real Assets, members of our editorial team speak to leading figures in the institutional investor community to curate a library of in-depth, focused content. Conversations with chief investment officers and other asset-owner leaders will range across beliefs, objectives, investment philosophy, strategy and outlook. Engaging with asset owners both in Europe and beyond, this series will provide unique access to the thinking that guides their decisions. If you like what you hear, do tell friends and colleagues, and please let us know us what you think by contacting us on podcasts@ipe.com . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

November 25, 202536 min

#24 Leaders in Investment podcast: Manfred Brenner and Poul Thybo, CIO and Head of Investments respectively for Austrian pension fund APK

In this episode of Leaders in Investment, IPE Editorial Director Liam Kennedy speaks with Manfred Brenner and Poul Thybo, CIO and Head of Investments respectively for Austrian pension fund APK. Manfred Brenner and Poul Thybo, CIO and Head of Investments respectively for Austrian pension fund APK discuss their portfolio allocation, strategic thinking across many asset classes, as well as their views on forthcoming technological breakthroughs. Topics include their belief that investment in innovation and technology is essential for future returns; the fund’s ‘full spectrum’ approach to private equity investing; their growing allocation and approach to venture capital funds; taking risks on investment themes versus in single companies and being an early investor in Chinese markets. This episode of Leaders in Investment is sponsored by UBS. “We started investing in venture to get exposure than to the new and at some time unproven technologies, but also to things that could be really disruptive.” n this podcast series from IPE and IPE Real Assets, members of our editorial team speak to leading figures in the institutional investor community to curate a library of in-depth, focused content. Conversations with chief investment officers and other asset-owner leaders will range across beliefs, objectives, investment philosophy, strategy and outlook. Engaging with asset owners both in Europe and beyond, this series will provide unique access to the thinking that guides their decisions. If you like what you hear, do tell friends and colleagues, and please let us know us what you think by contacting us on podcasts@ipe.com . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

October 31, 202537 min

#23 Leaders in Investment podcast: Tom Mergaerts, CEO, Amonis

In this episode of Leaders in Investment, Tom Mergaerts, CEO of Belgium’s not-for-profit Amonis pension discusses his investment philosophy, the dangers of inflation and his goal of making Amonis the provider of choice for all of Belgium’s self-employed liberal professionals. Themes include the special duty to the self-employed, who have no employer or sponsor to fall back on; choosing allocation models that can provide forward-looking information; the ‘illusion’ of passive investing and his contrarian perspective on investing in private markets. This episode of Leaders in Investment is sponsored by PGIM. "Index investing is not passive. You can call it passive, but it's just someone else who decides what to buy." In this podcast series from IPE and IPE Real Assets, members of our editorial team speak to leading figures in the institutional investor community to curate a library of in-depth, focused content. Conversations with chief investment officers and other asset-owner leaders will range across beliefs, objectives, investment philosophy, strategy and outlook. Engaging with asset owners both in Europe and beyond, this series will provide unique access to the thinking that guides their decisions. If you like what you hear, do tell friends and colleagues, and please let us know us what you think by contacting us on podcasts@ipe.com . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.