During my time as Managing Director Investment Strategy at PGGM, my conviction grew that a great investment strategy is necessary but not sufficient to realize enduring investment success. Governance, investment beliefs, organizational design and culture play equally critical roles in achieving great outcomes. This conviction led to the book Achieving Investment Excellence which I wrote with professors Alfred Slager and Kees Koedijk. 

In 2023 I left PGGM to contribute to the strategy of large asset owners around the globe. My experience with large asset owners stretches from The Netherlands to Canada, the UK and  Sweden. I am a non executive board member of Nest Invest and I
co-chair the Research Council of ICPM, the International Centre for Pension Management.

         Please find me on LinkedIn

What

My contribution is always strategic in nature. It can range from quite generic to very specific. My added value and experience are typically more fit for larger than for smaller funds. I feel at home in questions of governance, organizational strategy, investment strategy and responsible investment strategy.   

Examples of recent work:

• Reformulating organizational strategy and driving execution and organizational change for entering the next phase of maturity – multi year, very large Maple 8 Canadian asset owner. 
• NEST Invest – Board and Investment Committee member in a very growing young pension fund – preparing governance, investment organization and investment strategy for doubling its assets to over £ 100 bln over the next 5 years.
• Very Large Swedish Asset Owner – advising on Target Operating Model for doubling in assets over the next 5 to 10 years. 
• Advising new Responsible Investment Strategy – very large UK local pension fund partnership.

How

The form my contribution takes can range from being a strategic sparring partner for c-suite or board members or being a critical friend in a strategy formulation process, to being actual part of the strategy team.  

I can be a sparring partner, structure bringer, challenger, observer, bring in fresh perspectives or a member of the Investment Committee or Advisory Board. I may be able to speed up the process. However, it will only be your strategy if you fully own and embrace it – which means that you have to do the actual work.  

I position myself as an outsider-insider in the organizations I work with: close enough to understand the culture and ways of working, distant enough to retain the valuable external view that helps to identify organizational blind spots. In my experience, strategic challenges can often be identified relatively quick by having a number of conversations on the ground and without extensive and time consuming analytical work.  

Before accepting an assignment, I find it valuable to have one or more face to face conversations to see whether there is a mutual fit and understanding. I value relationships that grow over time.

Con

tact