AP2, Goteborg, Sweden, hired BNY Mellon Asset Management, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, PIMCO, Schroder Investment Management and Rogge Global Partners to run about 11.5 billion Swedish kronor ($1.6 billion) in a global credit strategy, according to Anders Stromblad, head of external management at the 204.3 billion kronor fund.

Rogge had run all the assets in that strategy, but fund officials wanted to diversify the portfolio's manager lineup, Mr. Stromblad said.

AP2 officials have not decided how much each firm will be managing.

An RFP was issued in the third quarter. Consultant bfinance assisted.

Arizona plan goes with TIAA-CREF for 403(b), 457(b)

Arizona State Retirement System, Phoenix, hired TIAA-CREF as the single provider for its new 403(b) and 457(b) plans, confirmed David Canella, spokesman for the $21 billion system.

System officials have not yet selected investment options for the plans; that could happen as early as the board's April 16 meeting.

An RFP was issued Oct. 21.

British Airways sticks with State Street for custody

British Airways Pension Scheme, Hounslow, England, reappointed State Street Corp. as global custodian.

The plan has about £14 billion ($21.17 billion) in assets, according to a spokesman for the fund.

Fred Alger gets call from Mass. plan for large-cap growth stocks

The Cambridge (Mass.) Retirement System has hired Fred Alger Management to actively manage $45 million in large-cap growth equities, according to an announcement from the money manager.

Ellen Philbin, executive director of the $670 million pension fund, couldn't immediately be reached for comment. Lawrence Marino, a consultant with Segal Advisors who advises Cambridge Retirement, declined to comment. Fred Alger spokeswoman Doreen Galante couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

Tortoise wins the race in Denver

Denver Employees Retirement Plan hired Tortoise Capital Advisors to run $40 million in its energy infrastructure master limited partnership, confirmed Steve Hutt, executive director of the $1.7 billion system.

General consultant Summit Strategies assisted the fund with the hiring.

The new portfolio will actively manage publicly traded stocks of “limited-partnership companies that operate mostly energy pipelines for both natural gas and oil in the U.S.,” Mr. Hutt said in a telephone interview.

The investment is part of the system's alternative investments allocation. He said the investment would be funded through rebalancing and no managers would be terminated.

Illinois university system picks managers for TIPS

Illinois State Universities Retirement System, Champaign, hired Longfellow Investment Management and New Century Advisors to manage $100 million and $75 million, respectively, in active Treasury inflation-protected securities portfolios, according to Daniel L. Allen, chief investment officer.

Both were hired for the $12.6 billion system' manager development program, aimed at increasing use of emerging, minority- and women-owned investment managers.

Funding will come from liquidating a $175 million internally managed passive TIPS portfolio.

SURS staff led the search; consultant Ennis Knupp assisted.

Aviva gets hired by University of Leeds

University of Leeds Pension and Assurance Scheme, Leeds, England, hired Aviva Investors to run £20 million ($30.4 million) in real estate, according to Tenders Electronic Daily.

The hiring is the £175 million scheme's first real estate mandate, according to its latest financial report. Funding will come from cash.

Jill Nimmo, pensions manager, said she was “not able to give out any information at all” about the fund or the hire and said no one at the fund could give additional information.

L.A. Guns & Hoses hires Portfolio Advisors for PE

Los Angeles Fire and Police Pension System hired Portfolio Advisors as its single private equity consultant, said Michael A. Perez, general manager of the $12.6 billion system.

The system previously had two private equity consultants, Aldus Equity for core and StepStone Group as specialty consultant. StepStone rebid and was one of the nine finalists.

Aldus was terminated May 7 after New York state and the SEC charged it and Saul Meyer, one of its founding principals, with civil securities fraud in connection with a “pay-to-play” scheme involving investments in the $129.4 billion New York State Common Retirement Fund, Albany. Mr. Meyer pleaded guilty in state supreme court in New York on Oct. 2 to fraud charges relating to the New York state fund's investments.

Baillie Gifford gets mandate from Missouri plan

The $7 billion Missouri State Employees' Retirement System, Jefferson City, hired Baillie Gifford Overseas to run a $100 million active international growth equity mandate, confirmed Christine Rackers, spokeswoman for the fund.

The portfolio is being funded by reducing allocations to existing managers, but none will be terminated, Ms. Rackers said in an e-mail response to questions.

The shortlist search was conducted by the system's general consultant, Summit Strategies Group.

Separately, MOSERS awarded $160 million in private equity and hedge fund mandates during the fourth quarter of 2009, according to the e-mail from Ms. Rackers.

The retirement system awarded a $10 million private equity mandate to DRI Capital and $50 million multistrategy hedge fund mandate to Diamondback Capital Management in October; a $50 million global value and relative value hedge fund account to Brevan Howard Asset Management in November; and a $50 million multistrategy hedge fund portfolio to Elliott International in December.

The system's policy asset allocation is 45% public equity, 30% public debt and 25% alternative investments.

N.C. system goes with Credit Suisse for private equity

North Carolina Retirement Systems, Raleigh, hired Credit Suisse to run $230 million in a new private equity fund targeting innovative in-state businesses, according to Heather Franco, a spokeswoman for the $67 billion fund.

The new fund will invest in businesses “with significant operations based in North Carolina,” according to a news release issued by Janet Cowell, state treasurer and sole fiduciary of the systems.

PSERS commits to private equity

Pennsylvania State Employees' Retirement System, Harrisburg, committed up to $25 million to J.H. Whitney VII and up to $15 million in Advent Latin America Private Equity Fund V, confirmed spokesman Robert Gentzel.

The $24.4 billion system had previously committed $35 million to Advent International Fund VI in July 2008 and $30 million to Advent Latin America Private Equity Fund IV in August 2007. It also had committed $50 million to J.H. Whitney VI in 2006 and $20 million to J.H. Whitney V in 2001.

Punter Southall gets call for consulting, other services

Quarriers Pension Scheme, Bridge of Weir, Scotland, hired Punter Southall to provide investment consulting, actuarial and other pension services, according to a Punter Southall news release.

Gordon Fraser, senior finance manager for the £23 million ($35 million) fund, did not return a call by press time seeking additional information.

Tennessee plan commits to Oaktree

Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System, Nashville, committed $50 million to Oaktree PPIP Private Fund, Lamar Villere, director of private equity, confirmed in an e-mail.

The move raises the $29 billion system's total commitment to five private equity funds to $225 million.

Consultant Strategic Investment Solutions assisted.

MassMutual to be bundled provider for TVCCA plan

Thames Valley Council for Community Action Inc., Jewett City, Conn., hired MassMutual Retirement Services as bundled provider for its 401(a) and 403(b) plans, confirmed Lisa Reilly, a spokeswoman for MassMutual.

Ms. Reilly and Janine Dunn, the council's head of human resources, declined to say which firm MassMutual replaced.

TVCCA's 401(a) plan has assets of $5.2 million, and its 403(b) plan, $4.4 million, Ms. Reilly wrote in an e-mail response to questions.