The Global Asset Owner Peer Study on best practices is an examination of 26 prominent asset owners from around the world. This study follows a successful peer study project in 2017 which was published in the report Smart Leadership, Sound Followership. Both, conducted in partnership with the Future Fund.
The 26 funds in the peer group for this study were selected for their strong governance, significant size, and thoughtful international perspectives. Together the group represents over $6tn of extremely influential capital. These organisations are enormously important to the futures of people and planet.
This study explores the nuances of asset ownership, emerging trends, challenges and opportunities that shape investment decisions and best practices of asset owners globally.
Below we have included the summary report of the study and the full length Peer Study. Below you will also find relevant investment insights, both from the event we held in London and from Roger Urwin, architect of the study. Additionally, you’ll find short video interviews featuring asset owner leaders recorded at our event in London in March 2024.
Asset owners have a rocky road ahead and should prepare for a bumpier ride by building more resilience into their organisation – thinking ahead, more agile organisational design, better culture and stronger risk frameworks will all play their part.
Roger Urwin, Co-founder at the Thinking Ahead Institute
Embedding long-term, systems thinking, adapting to the challenges of systemic risk, setting unprecedented commitments like net zero – these are just some of the ways leading asset owners are evolving their best practices and shaping the future of our industry.
Andrea Caloisi, Associate Director at the Thinking Ahead Institute
Related pages
Podcast: The evolution of Risk 2.0
Press release: World’s largest investors increasingly concerned on ‘systemic risks’
Event: Exchange+: TAI & Future Fund Global Asset Owner Peer Study summit on beliefs and best practices
Peer study: Smart Leadership, Sound Followership
Key resources
Global Asset Owner Peer Study – Summary report
A 15-minute read, offering a snapshot of key findings from the global peer study on best practices among leading asset owners.
Global Asset Owner Peer Study – Full report
A 30-minute read, offering a deep dive into the global peer study on best practices among leading asset owners.
Insights and best practices from global asset owners | part 1
Tune into this podcast episode for expert insights from Kristin Magnusson Bernard, Chief Executive Officer of AP1 and study participant, and Roger Urwin, Co-founder of the Thinking Ahead Institute and chief architect of the study.
Insights and best practices from global asset owners | part 2
Join us on this episode of Investing for Tomorrow, for expert insights from Raphael Arndt, Chief Executive Officer of the Future Fund, and partner on the study.
Insights
Asset owner interviews
It’s stated that the soft stuff is the hard stuff, and I think that’s so true…it is the reality that we are living in.
Alexandre Roy, Senior Managing Director, Total Fund Management, PSP Investments
It’s great to get out and meet other people, people with a similar set of challenges to us. (It’s) excellent to hear what other people are doing, both to challenge what we’re doing and also to confirm what we’re doing.
Simon Pilcher, Chief Executive Officer, USS Investment Management
Trying to navigate through that trade off between being long term, with…short term market headwinds, as well as managing stakeholder expectations. That trade off is a big challenge.
Sonia Bluzmanis, Head of Research, External Equities, Rest Super
There (is) lots of learning…understanding that others are struggling with precisely the same governance issues as we are ourselves. And then realising that we will benefit from having deeper discussions with other peers around this.
Pål Bergstrom, Chief Executive Officer, AP7
The thing that has really landed with me is the idea about thinking of the organisation as a system, as a whole. It’s something that we’ve been grappling with at New Zealand Super. To have it, articulated in a way that I can digest and understand has been incredibly useful.
Paula Steed, General Manager, Strategy & Shared Services, NZ Super Fund
Diving a bit deeper on total portfolio approach (TPA). What does that practically look like day to day and how might it need to adapt in a multi client organisation?
John Greaves, Director of Fiduciary Management, RailPen