QIC bolsters global infra team

Brisbane-based alternatives asset manager QIC today announced that it had hired Geoff Chatas and Giles Tucker to lead its North American and European infrastructure operations.

The two hires will be based in New York and London respectively. They come a month after Paul Costello, a former chief executive of Australia’s Future Fund and the New Zealand Superannuation Fund, was named independent chairman of QIC's Global Infrastructure Investment Committee.

The firm simultaneous announced that its global infrastructure fund had collected $528million in initial commitments from four investors.

“These talented executives will be pivotal in leading and executing QIC’s global infrastructure offering. This is an exciting time for our infrastructure business. We are deepening the experience in our team in key sectors and geographies,” said Ross Israel, head of infrastructure at QIC, in a statement.

Geoff Chatas has 25 years of experience in finance and infrastructure, with specific expertise in the energy and aviation sectors. Prior to joining QIC, he had a five year stint at Ohio State University as chief financial officer (CFO). He was previously managing director of JP Morgan’s infrastructure investments group and CFO of US energy company Progress Energy.

Chatas will join Vittorio Lacagnina, who was appointed last October to steer the New York office operations. QIC, which manages a portfolio of infrastructure investments worth A$510 million (€366.4 million; $394.3 million) in the country, covers the market via a team of 10 specialists spread across New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Tucker, who has 30 years of experience in the infrastructure investment realm, joins from Royal Bank of Canada. Based in London, he established the bank’s infrastructure franchise while holding the positions of UK and Europe managing director and head of infrastructure, transport and logistics. He joins a team of 10 and is the sole global infrastructure representative in London to date.