Matthew Eyton-Jones has announced his intention to step down as chief executive officer of the CHF4.5bn (€4.1bn) CERN pension fund in July 2021.
He will have completed two three-year terms in office at the scientific research institution’s pension fund.
In a statement, Eyton-Jones said he was invited by the CERN Council to apply for a third term of office but for personal reasons has decided to relocate from Switzerland to the UK in the second half of 2021.
He did not make any statement about his future plans.
Eyton-Jones joined the CERN defined benefit pension fund in 2015 to replace Théodore Economou, having previously worked in pensions at UK retailer John Lewis Partnership and for consultancy Mercer.
The pension fund has delivered positive investment performance every year during his tenure, with net assets increasing by around CHF450m since 2015.
“We have continued with a risk-based investment strategy designed to deliver a smooth path towards CERN’s objectives,” said Eyton-Jones.
“In addition, we have significantly reduced the fund’s administrative costs, enhanced our technology, data, and reporting platforms, made improvements to the fund’s governance structure, introduced new ESG policies, and successfully weathered the immediate challenges of COVID.”
Eyton-Jones also serves as a member of the World Economic Forum expert community, where he advises on pension and investment-related reform initiatives.
The CERN pension fund has been looking for two professional board members to replace Adrian Cunningham and John Breckenridge; applications closed last month.
