The CIO Chair: How Chief Investment Officers think, decide, and lead
Ever wondered what really drives the top CIOs? Sean Thompson and Hartej Singh introduce to you - The CIO Chair, a podcast diving into the strategies, leadership styles and decision-making approaches of today’s leading chief investment officers. Whether you're shaping your own path or leading an investment team today, this series offers real insights of the minds and career's of leaders in investment.
A collaboration between the cio investment club and Pension Insurance Corporation
Hosted by:
Sean Thompson, cio investment club
Hartej Singh, Pension Insurance Corporation
14. Part 1 - The Long View – Saker Nusseibeh, CEO, Federated Hermes on Capital, Conviction and the Future of Investing
In part one of this conversation on The CIO Chair, we speak with Saker Nusseibeh, CEO of Federated Hermes Limited, about his unconventional journey into investment management, the principles that have shaped his career, and why the industry needs to rediscover a long-term perspective. With a PhD in medieval history, Saker entered finance almost by accident. He reflects on how his academic background taught him humility, encouraged him to question conventional wisdom, and gave him a historical...
9 Sept 2026
13. Andy Chorlton, CIO, Fixed Income at M&G Investments: Leading and Investing Through Uncertainty
What does it take to lead one of the world's largest fixed income businesses - and how should investors navigate markets when uncertainty has become the norm? In this episode of The CIO Chair, Andy Chorlton, Chief Investment Officer of Fixed Income at M&G Investments, joins us to discuss his career, investment philosophy and approach to leading a global fixed income business. Andy shares his journey into investment management, from studying economics and Spanish to securing his first in...
28 Aug 2026
12. Jeremy Rogers, CIO, Better Society Capital - Investing for Impact Without Losing Sight of Returns
In this episode of The CIO Chair Podcast, we speak with Jeremy Rogers, Chief Investment Officer at Better Society Capital, about the evolution of impact investing and the role investment can play in tackling some of the UK's most pressing social and environmental challenges. Jeremy brings a particularly interesting perspective to the conversation, having worked across both the financial and social sectors, including a senior role at JP Morgan, Big Issue Invest and The Prince's Trust. At Bette...
10 Jul 2026
11. Black Swans, Natural Capital and Leadership with David Thompson, CIO at Zurich Insurance
David Thompson, Chief Investment Officer at Zurich Insurance Company Limited, joins us to discuss a career spanning investment banking, asset management and insurance investing. From writing 52 letters to land his first role at Lehman Brothers to leading one of the UK's major insurance investment portfolios, David shares the lessons that have shaped his investment philosophy and leadership style. The conversation explores how insurers balance long-term liabilities, why diversification matters...
24 Jun 2026
10. Will Nicoll, CIO, RLAM on why trust, transparency, and disciplined decision-making define the modern CIO
In this episode of The CIO Chair Podcast, we sit down with Will Nicoll, chief investment officer at Royal London Asset Management, for a wide-ranging conversation on investment leadership, team building, and navigating uncertainty in today's markets. Drawing on decades of experience across asset management and institutional investing, Will shares why trust is the foundation of every successful investment organisation. He explains how CIOs can build high-performing teams, encourage constructiv...
29 May 2026
09. How to Navigate Risk, Change, and Uncertainty with Siddharth Chakravarty
In this episode of The CIO Chair Podcast, we sit down with Siddharth Chakravarty, Vice President of Investments at Coaction Global. We explore the realities of modern investment leadership and the evolving responsibilities of today’s chief investment officer. The conversation covers how CIO's make decisions in uncertain markets, balance long-term strategy with short-term pressures, and build investment frameworks that can withstand volatility and structural change. We also discuss governance,...
7 May 2026
08. The Rise of DC: How the Pensions CIO Role Is Changing with Veronica Humble, CIO, Cushon.
In this episode of The CIO Chair Podcast, we speak with Veronica Humble, Chief Investment Officer at Cushon, about how the role of the CIO is evolving in the world of defined contribution (DC) pensions. As more individuals take responsibility for their retirement outcomes, CIOs must rethink how investment strategies are designed, communicated, and delivered at scale. Veronica shares how Cushon is approaching this challenge by focusing on member engagement, simplicity, and long-term value crea...
18 Mar 2026
07. Inside Lloyd’s: Guillermo Donadini on Risk, Capital and Leadership
Guillermo Donadini joins Sean Thompson and Hartej Singh to discuss how investment strategy supports the Lloyd’s insurance market. As CIO of the Corporation of Lloyd’s, Guillermo manages the central fund while overseeing investment risk across the broader marketplace. Guillermo begins by reflecting on his early exposure to economics growing up in Argentina, where economic instability made financial understanding a part of everyday life. His career path, from research roles to global CIO positi...
11 Feb 2026
06. A CIO Perspective on LGPS Pooling and Long-Term Investing, With Richard Tomlinson
In this episode of The CIO Chair, Sean Thompson and Hartej Singh speak with Richard Tomlinson, Chief Investment Officer of Local Pensions Partnership Investments (LPPI). Richard oversees investment implementation for local government pension scheme (LGPS) funds, managing assets on behalf of workers across local authorities and public bodies in the UK. Richard explains the origins and purpose of LGPS pooling, outlining how LPPI operates with full delegation to implement partner funds’ investme...
26 Jan 2026
05. Inside Public Pensions: Gerald Chen-Young on Policy, Risk and Global Investing
In this episode of The CIO Chair, Sean Thompson and Hartej Singh are joined by Gerald Chen-Young, Chief Investment Officer of the National Public Pension Funds Association (NPPFA). Gerald oversees an internal portfolio while advising public pension systems representing police, fire, and teacher plans with nearly $1 trillion in combined assets. Gerald reflects on his unusual career path, combining advanced training in economics and law. He explains how this combination has shaped his investmen...
23 Dec 2025
04. Inside an Insurer’s Investment Engine: Rob Groves on Risk, Culture and Long-Term Returns
In this episode of The CIO Chair, Sean Thompson and Hartej Singh are joined by Rob Groves, Chief Investment Officer of Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC), to discuss how insurers invest to secure defined benefit pensions over the long term. Rob shares his career journey from actuarial training through consulting and banking to leading investments at one of the UK’s largest pension insurers. The conversation explores PIC’s investment philosophy, including Rob’s scepticism of rigid strategic a...
8 Dec 2025
03. The Evolving Role of the Chief Investment Officer - with Pete Drewienkiewicz, CIO, Gallagher UK
In this episode, Gallagher UK's Chief Investment Officer Pete Drewienkiewicz shares practical insights into how CIOs make strategic decisions in today’s evolving institutional investment environment. Pete explains how governance frameworks, behavioural finance principles, and disciplined risk budgeting help chief investment officers navigate uncertainty and build portfolios that support long-term objectives. Drawing on decades of experience across investment banking, manager research and cons...
18 Nov 2025
02. Rethinking Investment Leadership: Lessons from OCIO Chetan Ghosh
What does it take to evolve from a traditional chief investment officer to an outsourced CIO leading institutional portfolios at scale? In this episode of The CIO Chair podcast hosts Sean Thompson and Hartej Singh sit down with Chetan Ghosh, OCIO at Schroders Solutions, to explore how the chief investment officer role is transforming, from in-house leadership at Centrica’s pension scheme to managing multi-client strategies at one of the world’s top investment firms. Drawing on more than 30 ye...
3 Nov 2025
01. Simon Pilcher on Long-Term Investing and Leadership
In this debut episode of The CIO Chair, Sean Thompson and Hartej Singh sit down with Simon Pilcher, CEO of USS Investment Management, to discuss leadership, investment philosophy, and the balance between responsibility and performance in managing £77 billion in assets for over half a million members. The conversation delves into the importance of anticipating future scenarios in investment strategies, emphasising that historical patterns may not adequately prepare investors for upcoming chall...
10 Oct 2025
Introduction to The CIO Chair podcast - Real Conversations with Chief Investment Officers
Welcome to The CIO Chair - where leading chief investment officers share the strategies, philosophies, and human stories behind successful long-term investing. In this short introductory episode, hosts Sean Thompson and Hartej Singh reveal the vision behind The CIO Chair: a new platform created by the cio investment club in collaboration with Pension Insurance Corporation. Together, they explain why this series exists- to bring real conversations with chief investment officers into the open. ...
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