Prudential exec to head GIIA board

The Global Infrastructure Investor Association (GIIA), a London-based non-profit that represents 25 of the biggest infrastructure investors and asset managers globally, has established its first management board and executive committee just three months after its launch.

“Twenty-five senior representatives of GIIA founding members have been confirmed to the initial management board to guide the association in its continued work, in partnership with governments and regulators, to achieve our shared infrastructure development goals and further support private investment in infrastructure,” GIIA said in a statement.

The board has also elected its first executive committee, appointing Matthew Farnum-Schneider, a managing director within the group chief executive’s office at UK insurer Prudential, as chairman. Henk Huizing, investment director at Dutch pension manager PGGM, and Andrew Claerhout, head of infrastructure at the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP), have been named deputy chairmen for Europe and North America, respectively.

GIIA, which describes itself as a global advocacy association, was launched in March with the aim of promoting effective engagement between institutional investors and policymakers.

The London-based organisation is the second such initiative to see the light of day. The Long-Term Infrastructure Investors Association (LTIIA), launched in August 2014 under the leadership of Paris-based fund manager Meridiam Infrastructure, also aims at ensuring that infrastructure investors are represented at forums such as the G20, B20 and multilateral development bank meetings and workshops.

However, LTIIA’s mission also includes establishing benchmarks, supporting best practices within the industry and promoting the integration of environment, social and governance aspects into investment processes, according to its founders.

GIIA’s current members, who collectively manage more than €200 billion in infrastructure assets, comprise the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Alinda Capital Partners, Allianz Capital Partners, Antin Infrastructure Partners, APG Asset Management, Arcus Infrastructure Partners, Ardian, Borealis Infrastructure, Brookfield Infrastructure, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management, EISER Infrastructure Partners, Global Infrastructure Partners, Goldman Sachs Infrastructure Partners, IDFC Alternatives, IFC Asset Management, IFM Investors, Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets, Morgan Stanley Infrastructure, OTPP, PGGM, Prudential/InfraCapital, PSP Investments and 3i Infrastructure.