USS Creates Financial Risk Monitor Role | Chief Investment Officer

Guy Coughlan, USS Guy Coughlan, Chief Financial Risk Officer, USSThe Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) has appointed its first chief financial risk officer, CIO has learned.

Guy Coughlan joined the £48 billion ($71 billion) pension for UK universities in January from investment and risk consultant Pacific Global Advisors, where he was chief risk and analytics officer. Prior to this role he spent 17 years with JP Morgan.

In the newly-created role at USS, Coughlan is responsible for risk management strategies and the development and oversight of the pension’s funding strategy. He also chairs the pension’s group risk committee.

CEO Bill Galvin said Coughlan would help build “a centre of excellence for risk analytics” at USS. “This work will be essential in supporting the trustee as it manages the level of risk in the scheme to ensure that it remains in line with the amount of support available from the scheme’s sponsoring employers,” Galvin explained.

USS is currently considering reforms to its pension payments as it grapples with a £2.9 billion deficit.

Meanwhile, in the Netherlands the country’s pension for metalworkers, PME, has appointed Eric Uijen as general manager and executive director, to succeed Hans van der Windt who is retiring in June.

Uijen is currently a director at Notarieel Pensioenfonds, the €1.2 billion ($1.3 billion) pension for the legal profession. During his three years at the fund he oversaw a merger with SBMN, which also covers the legal profession. The transaction is set to complete next year.

PME has €32 billion under management and has been a leader in the Netherlands’ drive to consolidate its pension funds. Under the leadership of van der Windt, PME has taken on more than 20 pension funds, including Pensioenfonds Stork in 2013—a fund previously managed by Eric Uijen.