CPE News (2.24.2022) – Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo) has appointed Sandra Lau, CFA, to the role of co-Chief Investment Officer (CIO), Head of Public Investments, and James Barber, CFA, to the role of co-CIO, Head of Private Investments.
Lau and Barber are succeeding Dale MacMaster, who announced his retirement from AIMCo last October having served 23 years with the organization, the last seven as Chief Investment Officer. The transition is effective March 1, 2022.
Lau most recently served as Executive Vice President, Fixed Income, and was responsible for managing $40 billion of fixed income, private placement, private mortgages and private debt and loan assets on behalf of AIMCo clients. Since joining AIMCo in 1999, she has held progressively more senior positions, most recently as Executive Vice President, Fixed Income. Lau is a member of the Executive Committee, the Management Investment Committee, and the Tactical Asset Allocation Committee.
Lau holds a B.Comm and an MA in Economics and Finance from the University of Alberta. She is the co-founder of Edmonton Women in Finance, and a member of Bank of Canada Canadian Fixed Income Forum. Lau sits on the Alberta Cancer Foundation’s Board of Trustees.
Barber joined AIMco in July 2021 and most recently served as Executive Vice President, Public Equities, having previously served as Chief Investment Officer – Equities at Russell Investments for seven years. Earlier in his career, Barber managed global and regional portfolios at SEI in the UK and USA after a successful career in advisory and litigation at KPMG in South Africa.
Barber holds a Bachelor of Science, Statistics and Economics from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, Master’s in Business Administration from University of Witwatersrand. He has completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
AIMCo is one of Canada’s largest and most diversified institutional investment managers with more than $150 billion of assets under management. AIMCo was established on January 1, 2008 with a mandate to provide superior long-term investment results for its clients. AIMCo operates at arms-length from the Government of Alberta and invests globally on behalf of 32 pension, endowment and government funds in the Province of Alberta.
photo credit: AIMco
News Release
Sandra Lau and James Barber Appointed Co-Chief Investment Officers of Alberta Investment Management Corporation
EDMONTON, AB, Feb. 24, 2022 /CNW/ – Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo) is pleased to announce the appointments of Ms. Sandra Lau to the role of co-Chief Investment Officer, Head of Public Investments, and Mr. James Barber to the role of co-Chief Investment Officer, Head of Private Investments. Ms. Lau and Mr. Barber succeed Dale MacMaster, who announced his retirement from AIMCo last October having served 23 years with the organization, the last seven as Chief Investment Officer. The transition is effective March 1, 2022.
“After screening over 60 qualified candidates from around the world, it became clear that the best choice for our clients is to appoint Sandra Lau and James Barber as co-Chief Investment Officers of AIMCo,” said Evan Siddall, Chief Executive Officer. “Their combined expertise will serve our clients best, striking an ideal balance that no other candidates were able to match.”
“Internal leadership succession should always be our preference, and I am pleased that we were able to build our team from within. Sandra’s deep history at AIMCo provides important continuity of leadership and sensitivity to client need, while James’s global industry experience and investment acumen helps ensure we are at the forefront of global asset management.”
As co-Chief Investment Officers, James will serve as Head of Private Investments, responsible for Real Estate, Infrastructure, Private Equity and Private Debt and Loan. Sandra will serve as Head of Public Investments, responsible for bringing together Fixed Income, Mortgages and Public Equities addressing clients’ needs for more liquid investments.
“The positive impact that Dale has had on the growth and evolution of AIMCo for the benefit of its clients during the past 23 years is indelible,” added Evan Siddall. “Under his leadership AIMCo built a strong, client-oriented investment platform with a deep team of professionals ready to serve our clients. On behalf of the entire organization, I would like to thank Dale for his deep commitment to the organization and considerable delivery of client value over the past 23 years.
It is particularly gratifying that in his final year with the organization, Dale oversaw the strongest levels of investment performance ever realized by the organization. We wish him well in his retirement”
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
Sandra Lau
Sandra Lau most recently served as Executive Vice President, Fixed Income, and led a team of investment professionals responsible for managing $40 billion of fixed income, private placement, private mortgages and private debt and loan assets on behalf of AIMCo clients. Since joining AIMCo in 1999, she has held progressively more senior positions, most recently as Executive Vice President, Fixed Income. Ms. Lau is a member of the Executive Committee, the Management Investment Committee, and the Tactical Asset Allocation Committee.
Sandra holds a B.Comm and an MA in Economics and Finance from the University of Alberta, and a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. She is the Co-Founder of Edmonton Women in Finance, and a member of Bank of Canada Canadian Fixed Income Forum. Sandra sits on the Alberta Cancer Foundation’s Board of Trustees.
James Barber
James Barber is a global investor with a strong client focus who most recently served as Executive Vice President, Public Equities, having previously served as Chief Investment Officer – Equities at Russell Investments for seven years.
James has extensive experience in developing and leading global investment teams, architecting investment processes, product innovation and managing multi strategy portfolios and research teams across different regions. Over the course of his career, he has gained deep industry knowledge on portfolio construction, manager research, quantitative research, predictive analytics, forecasting, factor investing, optimization and risk management, all leveraged to drive performance, innovation and growth for his clients.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Barber managed global and regional portfolios at SEI in the UK and USA after a successful career in advisory and litigation at KPMG in South Africa.
James holds a Bachelor of Science, Statistics and Economics from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, Master’s in Business Administration from University of Witwatersrand and is a Chartered Financial Analyst Charterholder. He has completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
ABOUT ALBERTA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT CORPORATION
AIMCo is one of Canada’s largest and most diversified institutional investment managers with more than $150 billion of assets under management. AIMCo was established on January 1, 2008 with a mandate to provide superior long-term investment results for its clients. AIMCo operates at arms-length from the Government of Alberta and invests globally on behalf of 32 pension, endowment and government funds in the Province of Alberta.
For more information on AIMCo please visit www.aimco.ca or follow us on LinkedIn.
SOURCE Alberta Investment Management Corporation
For further information: Media Contact: Dénes Németh, Vice President, Corporate Communications & Public Affairs, M: 780-932-4013, O: 780-392-3857, E: denes.nemeth@aimco.ca