The CIO Chair
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
The CIO Chair
06. A CIO Perspective on LGPS Pooling and Long-Term Investing, With Richard Tomlinson
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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’ investment strategies. He shares what the day-to-day life of a CIO looks like in a large pooled environment, balancing strategy, governance, manager selection, risk oversight, and team leadership.
The conversation explores Richard’s career journey, from engineering at Cambridge to hedge funds, consulting, and ultimately public-sector asset ownership.
The discussion spans private assets, UK investment opportunities, and the challenges of pricing long-dated risk. Richard shares a pragmatic view on housing, infrastructure, and corporate investing, emphasising transparency around return expectations and trade-offs.
The episode also explores team culture, delegation, and learning from past mistakes, including lessons from 2008. Richard closes by reflecting on leadership, AI’s evolving role in investment processes, and what it means to leave behind a strong institution rather than personal heroics.
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