The Church of England Pensions Board, serving the interests of 40,000 current and future beneficiaries, announced today the appointment of Michael Pratten as its Chief Investment Officer. He will report to John Ball, Chief Executive and work alongside the Investment Team’s Co-Director, Adam Matthews who leads on Ethics & Engagement.
Michael Pratten Pensions Board CIO

Michael will join the Church of England Pensions Board in November. He was most recently Interim CIO for the London CIV, where he was responsible for managing the internal investment team and developing the investment strategy and manager infrastructure. Prior to this he has held the post of CIO at Canopius, Coal Pension Trustees and Equitas Services Limited, having started his career with Prudential Portfolio Managers.

The Church of England Pensions Board is an ethical and responsible investor.  It has recently been recognised by the UN backed Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) for its leading collaborative work with FTSE Russell on the creation of the first index to embed forward looking climate data in its passive investments through the creation of the FTSE TPI Climate Transition Index.  The Board was also awarded the PRI engagement initiative of the year for its joint leadership with the Ethics Council for the Swedish National Pension Funds of the Investor Mining and Tailings Safety Initiative.

Commenting on the appointment, John Ball said: “We are really pleased that Michael will be joining the Pensions Board team in this vital role.  Through our investments we seek to achieve a sustainable return for our members and beneficiaries, whilst supporting the transition to a low carbon economy in line with the Paris Agreement goals.  Michael brings vast experience and a track record of success in both the pensions and wider investment sectors, and I am looking forward to working with him.”

Michael added: “I am delighted to have been appointed to this role and given the opportunity to join the Church of England Pensions Board as Chief Investment Officer. ‎I am really looking forward to contributing to the further development of investment strategy and to helping the organisation meet the expectations and requirements of its members and stakeholders.”

Adam Matthews, Director of Ethics and Engagement, Investment Team, Church of England Pensions Board, said: “We have embedded ethics and responsible investment at the heart of the Board’s approach.  I am delighted to be working alongside someone of Michael’s experience as together we will be a powerful team driving systemic change in the real economy in the interests of our beneficiaries and the world into which they retire.”

Michael Pratten will take up the role on 2 November 2020.  The position was vacated earlier in the year following the retirement of Pierre Jameson, the previous Chief Investment Officer.  John Ball added “I am grateful to Dan Taylor, Deputy CIO, who has ably held the reins as Acting Chief Investment Officer during the vacancy and will be working with Michael going forward.”

Further Information:

The Church of England Pensions Board provides retirement housing and pensions, set by the Church of England, for those who minister or work for the Church.  The Pensions Board assists over 40,000 people across almost 700 employers and manages funds in excess of £2.8 billion.

The Church of England Pensions Board was recently recognised by the UN backed Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI).  The PRI Awards are judged by an independent panel of experts and are intended to highlight “exceptional projects” among its 1,184 signatories, representing $103.4 trillion AUM. The Board was awarded:

  • Stewardship project of the year (won jointly between the Pensions Board & the Council on Ethics of the Swedish Public Pension Funds) for the Investor Mining and Tailings Safety Initiative
  • ESG incorporation initiative of the year (won jointly between the Pensions Board, FTSE Russell and the Transition Pathway Initiative) for the FTSE TPI Climate Transition Index.

Source URL: https://www.churchofengland.org/news-and-media/news-and-statements/church-england-pensions-board-announces-chief-investment-officer