Veteran economist and pension fund manager Leo de Bever is joining the C.D. Howe Institute as a senior fellow.
The Toronto-based think tank says that de Bever, who stepped down from his position as CEO of Alberta Investment Management Corp. (AIMCo) at the end of last year, has been appointed a senior fellow and member of the think tank’s national council.
“Leo de Bever is one of Canada’s most insightful economists and asset managers,” said William Robson, president and CEO of the C.D. Howe Institute. “His knowledge, skills and breadth of experience are extraordinary. We have benefited from his advice in the past, and look forward to continued collaboration in his new roles.”
Prior to taking over as AIMCo’s first CEO in 2008, De Bever has had numerous senior roles in the financial industry, including stints as chief investment officer of Australian pension fund manager, Victorian Funds Management Corp.; executive vice-president of Manulife Financial; senior vice-president of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan; chief economist at Nomura Canada, Crown Life, and Chase Econometrics, and chief forecaster at the Bank of Canada.
The CD Howe Institute notes that de Bever was an early investor in infrastructure, timberland and commodities. “He is now working with long-term investors to combine the profitable and the desirable and use their cash and patience to capitalize on growing opportunities in commercializing new technologies,” it says.