EDHEC-Risk Institute has appointed Jaap van Dam as chairman of its international advisory board. Van Dam is the Principal Director of Investment Strategy at PGGM in the Netherlands. PGGM is a leading Dutch pension administrator with roots in the healthcare and social work sectors. It manages about EUR268 billion (USD329 billion) in pension assets for more than 2.5 million Dutch participants. PGGM provides services in pension fund management, comprehensive asset management, management support, and policy advice to various pension funds.
“EDHEC-Risk Institute is extremely fortunate to have such an experienced and talented investment professional as the new chair of its board,” says Lionel Martellini, Professor of Finance, EDHEC Business School and Director of EDHEC-Risk Institute. He added, “Jaap van Dam has been a tremendously active board member for almost 10 years, and we look forward to continuing our strong working relationship with him. Jaap will bring a wealth of experience in sustainability, a perfect fit with our Institute’s increased focus on climate change and sustainable finance.”
Van Dam says: “I am honoured to succeed Mark as the chairman of the International Advisory Board. EDHEC-Risk Institute is a leading force when it comes to developing sound, innovative thinking in the fields of finance and investing, whose current and future leaders it educates. Moreover, the staff of EDHEC-Risk and the board members are an exceptional group of people both in terms of knowledge and experience.”
As chairman, Van Dam succeeds Mark Fawcett, Chief Investment Officer of NEST Corporation, the trustee body responsible for running NEST, the National Employment Savings Trust.
Van Dam’s career in investment management spans more than three decades. He has held many roles within the industry, ranging from fundamental and quantitative analysis to external manager selection and portfolio construction. He joined PGGM in 2005 as Head of Internal Equity Management. In 2006, he was appointed Chief Strategist.
Van Dam is chairman of the Dutch Association of Investors for Sustainable Development (VBDO) and the European chapter of the 300 Club. Van Dam sits on the NEST (UK) Investment Committee and is a member of ICPM’s research committee. Together with Prof. Kees Koedijk and Professor Alfred Slager, he authored Achieving Investment Excellence: A Practical Guide for Trustees of Pension Funds, Endowments and Foundations (2019).
The role of EDHEC-Risk Institute’s international advisory board is to consult on the relevance and goals of the research programme proposals presented by the centre’s management and to evaluate research outcomes with respect to their potential impact on industry practices. The 32 members of the board also advise on the objectives and contents of projects deriving from the expertise of the research centre.
