The CIO Chair

David Thompson, Chief Investment Officer at Zurich Insurance Company Limited, joins us to discuss a career spanning investment banking, asset management and insurance investing. From writing 52 letters to land his first role at Lehman Brothers to leading one of the UK's major insurance investment portfolios, David shares the lessons that have shaped his investment philosophy and leadership st...

In this episode of The CIO Chair Podcast, we sit down with Will Nicoll, chief investment officer at Royal London Asset Management, for a wide-ranging conversation on investment leadership, team building, and navigating uncertainty in today's markets. Drawing on decades of experience across asset management and institutional investing, Will shares why trust is the foundation of every successfu...

In this episode of The CIO Chair Podcast , we sit down with Siddharth Chakravarty, Vice President of Investments at Coaction Global. We explore the realities of modern investment leadership and the evolving responsibilities of today’s chief investment officer. The conversation covers how CIO's make decisions in uncertain markets, balance long-term strategy with short-term pressures, and build...

In this episode of The CIO Chair Podcast , we speak with Veronica Humble, Chief Investment Officer at Cushon, about how the role of the CIO is evolving in the world of defined contribution (DC) pensions. As more individuals take responsibility for their retirement outcomes, CIOs must rethink how investment strategies are designed, communicated, and delivered at scale. Veronica shares how Cushon is...

Guillermo Donadini joins Sean Thompson and Hartej Singh to discuss how investment strategy supports the Lloyd’s insurance market. As CIO of the Corporation of Lloyd’s, Guillermo manages the central fund while overseeing investment risk across the broader marketplace. Guillermo begins by reflecting on his early exposure to economics growing up in Argentina, where economic instability made financial...

In this episode of The CIO Chair , Sean Thompson and Hartej Singh speak with Richard Tomlinson, Chief Investment Officer of Local Pensions Partnership Investments (LPPI). Richard oversees investment implementation for local government pension scheme (LGPS) funds, managing assets on behalf of workers across local authorities and public bodies in the UK. Richard explains the origins and purpose of L...

In this episode of The CIO Chair , Sean Thompson and Hartej Singh are joined by Gerald Chen-Young, Chief Investment Officer of the National Public Pension Funds Association (NPPFA). Gerald oversees an internal portfolio while advising public pension systems representing police, fire, and teacher plans with nearly $1 trillion in combined assets. Gerald reflects on his unusual career path, combining...

In this episode of The CIO Chair , Sean Thompson and Hartej Singh are joined by Rob Groves, Chief Investment Officer of Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC), to discuss how insurers invest to secure defined benefit pensions over the long term. Rob shares his career journey from actuarial training through consulting and banking to leading investments at one of the UK’s largest pension insurers. The...

In this episode, Gallagher UK's Chief Investment Officer Pete Drewienkiewicz shares practical insights into how CIOs make strategic decisions in today’s evolving institutional investment environment. Pete explains how governance frameworks, behavioural finance principles, and disciplined risk budgeting help chief investment officers navigate uncertainty and build portfolios that support long-...

What does it take to evolve from a traditional chief investment officer to an outsourced CIO leading institutional portfolios at scale? In this episode of The CIO Chair podcast hosts Sean Thompson and Hartej Singh sit down with Chetan Ghosh, OCIO at Schroders Solutions, to explore how the chief investment officer role is transforming, from in-house leadership at Centrica’s pension scheme to managi...

In this debut episode of The CIO Chair , Sean Thompson and Hartej Singh sit down with Simon Pilcher, CEO of USS Investment Management, to discuss leadership, investment philosophy, and the balance between responsibility and performance in managing £77 billion in assets for over half a million members. The conversation delves into the importance of anticipating future scenarios in investment strate...

Welcome to The CIO Chair - where leading chief investment officers share the strategies, philosophies, and human stories behind successful long-term investing. In this short introductory episode, hosts Sean Thompson and Hartej Singh reveal the vision behind The CIO Chair : a new platform created by the cio investment club in collaboration with Pension Insurance Corporation . Together, they explain...