George Thomson
Portfolio Manager, Alternatives
NZ Super Fund
George Thomson is a Portfolio Manager in the External Investments & Partnerships team at the NZ Super Fund, New Zealand’s sovereign wealth fund, where he leads allocations to external managers across a broad range of alternative asset classes.
Within the Fund’s External Investments & Partnerships team, he focuses on building and managing mandates in hedge funds, insurance-linked securities (ILS), digital assets, and venture and crossover strategies, with a remit to deliver diversifying,
uncorrelated returns that support the Fund’s long-term objectives.
Before joining the NZ Super Fund, George held senior investment roles at Bank of New Zealand and Russell Investments, covering manager selection, implementation consulting, and investment research across hedge funds, alternatives, and fixed income.
George holds MBA degrees in Investments and Investment Management from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School and the University of Otago, and undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Philosophy from the University of Otago and Lincoln University.
At the Catastrophe Bonds & ILS Summit, George will share how the NZ Super Fund approaches integrating ILS and other alternatives within a sovereign wealth fund portfolio, balancing innovation, risk management, and responsible investment.
SESSIONS
9:20
International Investment Case Study: Scaling Diversification and Uncorrelated Returns through CAT Bonds and ILS
Learn how NZ Super Fund has embedded ILS into its allocation to deliver stable returns across market cycles
Unpacking approaches to pricing, peril selection, and currency risk management
Portfolio strategies for adjusting allocation size, managing liquidity, and navigating changing peril correlations
Exploring how these alternative asset classes can strengthen ESG commitments and contribute to sustainable investment
George Thomson, Portfolio Manager Alternatives, NZ Superfund