Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec, Montreal, has named Sharon White as a managing director and head of Europe, according to a news release.
White will work closely with asset class leaders based in the U.K., Europe and Montreal and also lead investment strategy in Europe, CDPQ’s second largest market after North America.
White’s starting date will be Jan. 27, 2025. She replaces David Morley, who had served in the role of European managing director and head of Europe since February 2021 and has now announced his retirement.
“As one of Canada’s largest pension funds and a global leader in sustainable investing, CDPQ is delivering on its dual mandate of securing returns over the long term to ensure the financial future of over six million depositors while also contributing to the economic development of Quebec,” said White in the news release.
“The opportunity to contribute to this important mission, and continued growth of the group in the U.K. and globally, is one that I’m really looking forward to.”
Until September, White had been chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, the largest employee- owned business in the U.K., on a five-year term. From 2015-2019, she served as chief executive of Ofcom, the U.K.’s media, telecoms and postal regulator, and had previously acted as a permanent secretary at HM Treasury. White was awarded a Damehood in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours 2020.
CDPQ had C$452 billion ($324 billion) in assets as of June 30.
