The German pension funds for employees of the Protestant church, Kirchliche Zusatzversorgungskasse Rheinland-Westfalen (KZVK) and Gemeinsame Versorgungskasse für Pfarrer und Kirchenbeamte (VKPB), have appointed long-serving employee Katharina Grisar as chief investment officer (CIO) and board member.
Grisar will take over the role on 1 March 2027, succeeding Wolfram Gerdes, who has been responsible for investments as a board member at KZVK-VKPB since 2011. Gerdes will retire on 28 February 2027.
Her appointment signals continuity for the two pension funds, which operate as a single investment organisation with €20bn in assets.
Grisar has worked at KZVK-VKPB since 2007. Since 2016, she has led the corporate management department, which encompasses risk management, investment controlling, business intelligence and actuarial functions.
Before joining KZVK-VKPB, she held various positions at insurer Westfälische Provinzial Versicherung and Signal Iduna Group.
“With Katharina Grisar, an expert from within our own ranks, is joining the executive board, someone who has been familiar with our organisation, our investment strategy, and the specific requirements of the church pension scheme for many years,” Gerdes said.
Jürgen Fröhlich, chair of the KZVK board, said appointing a CIO from within the organisation “ensures continuity in terms of investments”, as well as a seamless handover.
“In doing so, we also fulfil our responsibility to remain a reliable institution that provides attractive retirement provision, both today and in the future,” Fröhlich added.
Ralf Henning Krause, chair of the VKPB board, said: “Katharina Grisar possesses all the necessary qualifications to continue the successful development of KZVK and VKPB in the areas of investments and finance.”
Hans-Rudolf von Campenhausen, board member responsible for benefits and administration at KZVK and VKPB, said outgoing CIO Gerdes’s “strategic vision and know-how” had left a “lasting mark” on the funds’ investment activities and laid the foundation for future asset allocation.
The pension funds pursue a strategy focused on globally diversified real assets, which will continue to expand, according to their financial statement.
