Corné van Nijhuis, chief executive at the €25bn pension fund of ING, has resigned just eight months after first taking the job. 

In an announcement on its website, the scheme’s board said it had decided “by mutual agreement with Van Nijhuis” to terminate the relationship on 15 January.

Van Nijhuis started his new job on 1 April, succeeding Albert Smolenaers, who had acted as interim chief executive, following the departure of Daan Heijting to Timeos, the provider for PGB, the industry-wide pension fund for the printing industry.

Rob Oosterhout, vice-chairman at Pensioenfonds ING, declined to comment on the departure, and Van Nijhuis did not respond to requests for comment.

Between 2002 and 2008, Van Nijhuis served as COO at insurer Swiss Life, where he went on to become chief executive.

In 2010, he left his job at Swiss Life to be become chief executive of asset management at the €105bn asset manager MN, provider for the large metal schemes PMT and PME.

After a year and a half, Van Nijhuis left MN.

He subsequently started a consultancy for interim management, which he ran until his appointment at the ING scheme.