The United Nations’ outgoing chief investment officer has found a new role.
On Friday, the Arabesque Group, a sustainable investment, advisory, and data services firm, announced that Bril has been hired to lead its asset management group.
Bril is set to leave the United Nations in July after nearly five years as its CIO. Pedro Guazo, the leader of the UN Joint Staff Pension Fund, told Institutional Investor in January that Bril planned to move to Europe with his family.
Bril will work at Arabesque’s new headquarters in London, where he will oversee not only the firm’s asset management business but also its artificial intelligence-driven sustainable investment products, according to the announcement.
“Technology and data are playing a key role in reshaping sustainable investing, spurring market transformation away from industrial-era concepts towards future-fit models and new horizons,” Bril said in a statement.
Bril joined the UN’s pension fund in 2016. During his tenure, the fund’s assets under management increased from $52 billion to $82 billion, according to Arabesque’s announcement.
Guazo credited Bril with the fund’s strong performance in the January interview with Institutional Investor, noting that he diversified assets under management and increased them by roughly 15 percent during his five-year tenure. The UN’s pension fund is roughly 130 percent funded.
“We are very happy for Herman and I am sure he will be a great addition to Arabesque,” Guazo said via email Friday. He added that the UN is hoping to finalize its CIO recruitment process by the end of the month.
Before joining the UN’s pension fund, Bril was the group chief financial officer and managing director at Cardano Risk Management, a United Kingdom-based investment risk management firm, according to Arabesque’s announcement.
He also worked as senior vice president, head of treasury, and capital management at Aegon, a Dutch life financial services company. Bril was previously the head of asset management and chief investment officer at Syntrus Achmea Asset Management.
Bril began his career as a derivatives trader at Deutsche Bank, his LinkedIn profile shows.
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On Friday, Arabesque also announced that it hired Ulrika Hasselgren, former global head of sustainability and impact investment at Danske Bank, as its new head of Nordics as well as head of Europe for corporates and sovereigns.
“As the company scales up its products and services worldwide to meet market demand, their vision and leadership will be invaluable,” Georg Kell, Arabesque’s chairman, said of Bril and Hasselgren.
