Industry super fund-owned global investment manager, IFM Investors, has appointed Luba Nikulina as its first chief strategy officer.
Ms Nikulina has over 25 years of investment industry experience and joins IFM from WTW (formerly Willis Towers Watson) where she served as global head of research.
During her time at WTW, she advised some of the world’s largest asset owners on strategy, governance and investments while managing a team of over 100 analysts and was also responsible for establishing the firm’s private markets capabilities.
In the London-based role of chief strategy officer, IFM said that Ms Nikulina will lead the development of its global strategy with a focus on private markets solutions that meet the needs of Australian and global pension funds and their members.
“I’m excited to have Luba joining IFM Investors in the newly created role of chief Strategy Officer. She will lead IFM’s global strategy to continue to meet the needs of our investors and their members, such as nurses, teachers, construction and hospitality workers,” said IFM Investors chief executive, David Neal.
“Luba is a strong and experienced leader of global teams and shares IFM’s commitment to ESG and sustainability, which we believe helps us deliver on our purpose to protect and grow the long-term retirement savings of working people.”
During her career, Ms Nikulina has served on the UK Government’s Social Impact Investing Taskforce, the City of London’s Socioeconomic Diversity Taskforce, co-chaired the Investment Consultants Sustainability Working Group, and has contributed to a number of other global collaborative cross-industry initiatives.
Additionally, she has been included in the FN100 Most Influential Women in European Finance list for the past eight years and holds an AMP degree from Harvard Business School and an MBA from the London Business School.
Commenting on her appointment, Ms Nikulina said she was delighted to join the investment manager “at a time when the critical role of long-term capital has never been clearer”.
“IFM and its team are long-term responsible investors, with the track record of delivering risk-adjusted returns by investing in assets, which include those with broad economic and social benefits,” she said.
“I look forward to building on these strong foundations and enhancing IFM’s investment offering for the benefit of IFM’s investors, who represent millions of working people globally.”
