Ex-QIC CIO joins Middle East state fund

After more than a decade with Brisbane-based Queensland Investment Corporation, Adriaan Ryder has left to join sovereign wealth fund Abu Dhabi Investment Council as chief strategist.

Ryder, the Australian asset manager’s chief investment officer for eight years, started last month with Adic, according to his LinkedIn page. The SWF has $110 billion in assets under management according to research provider Sovereign Wealth Center.

Adic started operations in April 2007 and runs a portfolio of "highly diversified asset classes and active investment management strategies", according to its website. It also has a direct investment mandate to broaden Abu Dhabi’s economic base and facilitate the international development of local companies.

Ryder's departure from QIC was part of a planned succession. Jim Christensen, former CIO of retirement fund Telstra Super, came in as managing director for global multi-asset on January 11, with a view ultimately to taking the CIO post at QIC.

Before joining QIC, Christensen served as CIO for five years at Telstra Super, which was named corporate pension fund of the year in AsianInvestor’s Institutional Excellence Awards in 2014. He rejoins QIC, having been managing director of the active management division there before moving to Telstra.

Ryder was CIO at QIC for eight years, before which he served as head of strategy and head of beta asset management. 

With A$75 billion ($54 billion) in assets under management, QIC runs infrastructure, real estate, private equity, multi-asset and liquid strategies.