NETHERLANDS - John Neervens, chairman of the board at Dutch pension giant ABP, has died, the pension fund has announced on its website.
 
Neervens, 60, died on Thursday night after a relapse following an apparent recovery from cancer, according to ABP. "His death comes unexpectedly," Stichting Pensionfonds ABP, the fund for Dutch civil servants, added.

Neervens headed ABP for the past 12 years, and "under his apt and inspiring leadership the privatisation of ABP was shaped and the pension fund has grown into a modern, and well organised firm".

Roderick Munserts, chief investment officer of the €201bn fund, told IPE in an interview that Neervens had even planned a comeback.

It is unclear who will take over, as his death was sudden and unexpected, Munsters said.

The board will need to decide on a new chairman in the coming period, Munsters added, saying: "The board will set up a profile and look at the competences someone should have, and look at what we have in the team now and which addition we could use."

He expects that it will take at least the following six months before anyone will be appointed.

Last month, ABP's director of pensions Jaap Maassen was re-elected as chairman of the European Federation for Retirement Provision - whether Maassen is a likely candidate Munsters could not say.

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