Anders Schelde, the CIO of Nordea Life & Pension in Denmark, has been appointed as the new CIO of MP Pension, the labour-market pension fund for academic public sector staff.

He is set to take up the new post on 1 November.

Jens Munch Holst, chief executive of MP Pension, said Schelde had achieved tremendous results for Nordea Life & Pension.

“Under Anders, we will continue to focus on creating a high level of return on a responsible basis for the pleasure and benefit of our members,” Munch Holst said.

Schelde will take over the CIO role from MP Pension’s previous head of investments Niels Erik Petersen, whose departure after 10 years at the pension fund was announced in April.

Schelde said: “I am pleased to be part of a developing organisation with skilled co-workers, a clear strategy and a strong focus on responsible investment.”

At MP Pension, Schelde will be in charge of investing the fund’s total pension assets of DKK106bn (€14.3bn), according to 2016 end-of-year figures. Nordea Life & Pensions Denmark had total assets of DKK227bn at the end of last December, and is part of the larger Nordea Life & Pensions group in the Nordics.

“Many large organisations have energy and muscle they can use, but in a smaller organisation you can see the light as soon as you press the button,” Schelde said, quoted by Danish news site FinansWatch.

The effect of one’s work was seen immediately, he said.

“That is the great thing about being in a smaller organisation,” Munch Holst added, also quoted by FinansWatch.

MP Pension recently became independent, after years of cooperation with the Architects’ Pension Fund and the Pension Fund for Agricultural Academics and Veterinary Surgeons under the Unipension common pensions management umbrella came to an end in December 2015.

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