Columbia Threadneedle Investments, the asset management unit of Ameriprise Financial Inc, has started building an infrastructure business for institutional clients in the UK and Europe.
The €395 bn asset manager has hired three senior managers to join Heiko Schupp (pictured), who has been appointed to the newly created role of global head of infrastructure investments.
Previously senior portfolio manager at Hasting Fund Management, Schupp will work with the recently appointed head of asset management Ash Kelso, the new head of acquisitions Antonio Botija and the new senior portfolio manager Ingrid Weston.
Kelso previously worked as director for energy, utilities and infrastructure at PriceWaterhouseCoopers; Botjia joined from Hastings, where he was investment director; and Weston formerly worked as a product specialist in infrastructure debt at HSBC Global Asset Management.
Michelle Scrimgeour, Columbia Threadneedle Investments’ EMEA CEO, commented: ‘As an active investment management firm, infrastructure complements our existing range of real assets and alternative investments, and allows us to enhance our offering to clients.’
‘The investment opportunity for the private sector is growing – public spending is constrained, yet governments around the world need to construct more assets to maintain their economic growth. It is estimated that in Europe alone, €2 trn of investment in infrastructure is needed by 2020,’ he added.
