Nick Greenwood, who most recently led the investment arm of £2.2bn Berkshire Pension Fund until his retirement last year, died in early September.
Based in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead for 11 years he implemented a ground-breaking investment strategy that married a focus on delivering both growth and cash flow to the fund.
He was regarded as an innovative thought leader, with an appetite to consider what other institutions might regard as esoteric and frontier investments.
He actively sought out exposure to technology, food and water investments, and high growth emerging markets.
Closer to home, he pursued investments in British innovation, from venture capital in university-backed technology enterprises, to residential and commercial real estate that would revitalise the local economy.
Nick was known within the industry for his “refreshingly pragmatic approach”, his drive, enthusiasm and creativity and his willingness and “courage” to embrace new ideas.
When listening to a manager presentation he was crystal clear in what he expected from them – to state who they were, why they were there and what they could offer to the fund.
He pushed boundaries and forged bold partnerships with providers – memorably hosting over 100 managers at an open day in Windsor Town Hall in 2012 at which he paced the stage, expounding on his vision for the pension fund’s strategy.
Nick’s other passion was his work with the Boy Scouts, and he spent close to 20 years as group scout leader with the First Formby Scout Group, one of the oldest scout groups.
By Aoifinn Devitt, an independent advisor to the Berkshire Pension Fund
