The Caisse recruits a leading asset manager: Roland Lescure appointed as Executive Vice-President and Chief Investment Officer

Michael Sabia, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, is pleased to announce the appointment of Roland Lescure as Executive Vice-President and Chief Investment Officer. His appointment stems from an action plan underway at the Caisse since April to refocus on core operations, manage risk more effectively and generate sustained returns over the long term. 

“The Caisse is proud to welcome Roland Lescure to its senior management team. He is recognized in Europe as one of the best asset managers of his generation. Throughout his career, Mr. Lescure has distinguished himself with a prudent style that matches the long-term investment profile of the Caisse and its clients, the depositors. His excellent track record also shows that he has the vision and leadership to direct our investment strategy and guide our teams through challenging economic times,” Mr. Sabia stated.

Mr. Lescure will be responsible for setting the Caisse’s investment strategy and asset allocation for its overall portfolio, as well as shaping the research underpinning its investment activities. He will also oversee investments in liquid markets (equities, fixed income, currencies and commodities) and will play a key advisory role for private equity and real estate. Mr. Lescure will take up his new post this fall. 

A long-term view, a prudent strategy and rigorous risk management
A graduate of École Polytechnique, École nationale de la statistique et de l'administration économique (ENSAE) and the London School of Economics and Political Science, Roland Lescure is a seasoned economist with many years of experience in the investment field. He began his career in asset management at the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (CDC) in France. Mr. Lescure is currently Chief Investment Officer at Groupama Asset Management, which is one of the largest asset management firms in France and has been recognized for its successful response to the global financial crisis.  

Responsible for managing assets totalling €80 billion (CA$ 125 billion), Mr. Lescure was one of the main architects of the measured strategy behind Groupama AM’s success. Focussed on the long term and based on rigorous research and risk management, that course of action relied on sound investment practices to ensure consistent results. Moreover, it earned Groupama AM several awards of distinction in 2008 and 2009.

“Recruiting an executive of this calibre shows that the Caisse is seen as a leading global fund manager. The addition of Mr. Lescure will strengthen our team and enable us to accelerate the implementation of our plan to serve depositors more effectively and to ensure the Caisse’s growth,” Mr. Sabia added.