Alexis C. Vatistas

USS-IM is an active, long-term manager which utilizes a highly regulated investment approach aiming to generate above average returns at minimum risk by managing a diversified fund composed of UK and overseas equities, bonds, real estate and alternative assets. The firm's in-house team of portfolio manager/analysts is the Scheme's preferred investment manager, and external managers are accessed too. Portfolios are diversified both geographically and by sector. They diversify across traditional and alternative assets and strategies aiming to maintain investment returns while mitigating risk. USS-IM invests in fixed-income to protect against economic and equity weakness and to stabilize assets versus liabilities. They also invest in emerging government/corporate bond markets when they believe they offer an attractive risk premium.

USS integrates environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) factors into their investment decisions across all asset classes. Through engagement, voting and stewardship, they use their influence as a major institutional investor to promote good ESG practices. The firm works with policy makers and regulators to ensure that the concerns of long-term asset owners and investors are clearly understood.

As the manager of discretionary accounts and private accounts WDB develops solutions tailored to suit the requirements of their clients. As the manager of mutual funds they aim to achieve long-term capital growth while outperforming specific indexes such as the FTSE World Index, the FTSE World Ex-UK Index, and the FTSE All Share Index. The firm places emphasis on careful stock selection and they combine in-house fundamental, quantitative and technical analysis with research from their sister firm, Evolution Securities, to provide recommendations. The WDB research department determines the overall investment strategy, although their investment managers are free to make specific investment decisions that best suit client needs, superimposing their in-house investment policy on research received from a variety of global securities houses.