Ontario Teachers to expand London office

The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan will expand its London office to accommodate a larger, multi-asset class team, according to a statement.

The office, which will reopen in 2015 will be headed up by Jo Taylor, who will become a managing director for Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Taylor is currently leading the London office for Teachers’ Private Capital, the pension plan’s private equity investment arm. He will retain his primary responsibility for TPC and private equity investments in the region and he will also oversee the full cycle of deal origination, analysis and execution of investment activities across asset classes.

Taylor joined Teachers’ in 2012 after working as a partner at technology and healthcare-focused private equity firm Ethean Capital and a managing partner at 3i Group, where he spent 24 years, according to his LinkedIn profile.

“Jo’s expanded role reflects our commitment to growing our global presence and deepening our long-term relationships with our partners in key markets. His experience, relationship building skills and his deal and market knowledge make him the ideal person for this new position,” said Neil Petroff, Teachers’ executive vice-president and chief investment officer.

The London office initially opened in 2007 and manages a diverse portfolio of assets valued at about $21 billion as of 31 December 2013.

With a total of $140.8 billion in net assets, the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan is the largest single-profession pension plan in Canada.