NETHERLANDS - Dutch professor Fieke van der Lecq has been appointed by the €26bn pensions provider Cordares as the first chair of European pension markets at Erasmus School of Economics.
Cordares' aim is to improve the pension sector through research into the benefits and limitations of the market processes, it said in a statement.
"There are many economic theories and experiences to be put to the test within this context. For example, we want to look at the new pensions vehicle API and the coverage of longevity risks," Van der Lecq told IPE.
"In general, we will research whether there is sufficient competition and choice of products and services as well as the benefits of scale," she added.
"The research will focus on finding solutions for the affordability of population ageing in Europe, based on capital-funded systems through pension funds," explained Adri van der Wurff, chairman of Cordares.
"After all, our intention is to improve the position of the Dutch pension system. We don't want to get into trouble if countries with increasingly expensive pay-as-you-go systems push their problems to the Netherlands."
Van der Lecq combines her part-time chair at Rotterdam-based Erasmus university with the job of research manager for financial sector monitoring at the Netherlands' Competition Authority (NMa).
She was previously editor of the magazine Economische Statistische Berichten (ESB) and together with Onno Steenbeek, she published the book The Costs and Benefits of Collective Pension Systems.
Cordares has committed itself to sponsor the chair pension markets for the next four years.
Cordares is pension provider and income insurer for over a million workers and recently merged with APG Group, the asset manager and pension provider of the large civil service scheme ABP.
Cordares will continue to target the market sector from within APG Group.
If you have any comments you would like to add to this or any other story, contact Julie Henderson on + 44 (0)20 7261 4602 or email julie.henderson@ipe.com
No comments yet