Aware Super appoints UK private equity lead

Aware Super has bolstered its London team with the appointment of three executives to manage its infrastructure, private equity and property portfolios in Europe and the US.

Importantly, the $190 billion superannuation fund has recruited Frank Bulman to lead its private equity team in Europe along with two associate portfolio managers for infrastructure and property investment.

The London appointments follow the news that Damian Graham will succeed Damian Webb as head of international at the end of the year.

Reporting to Jenny Newmark, Bulman arrived at Aware Super from Park Town Equity Partners, an investment vehicle he co-founded to pursue co-investment deals.

With over 25 years of experience, he has held senior roles at Averroes Capital and RJD Partners, where he led teams investing in European lower mid-market buyout opportunities.

In his role, Bulman will work with Aware Super's established European private equity manager relationships as a strategic capital partner for both co-investments and co-underwriting opportunities.

He is also charged with developing new relationships across Europe and North America and will sit on the global PE investment committee.

The two new associate portfolio managers, Steve Ingham and Katie Robertson, will look after infrastructure and property respectively.

Originally from Australia, Ingham has over 10 years' experience working on global energy and infrastructure transactions through roles in investments, investment banking and consulting.

Aware Super noted that his experience covers a broad range of infrastructure sectors and business maturities, including growth-stage digital infrastructure and greenfield renewable energy projects through to large vertically integrated energy companies and major international airports.

In his new role, Ingham will be responsible for the origination and execution analysis as well as ongoing active asset management for the fund's direct infrastructure investments in Europe and globally.

As for Robertson, she has over a decade of pan-European real estate investment experience, with a strong track record in sourcing, structuring and managing complex, high-value transactions across the residential, hospitality and alternative living sectors.

At Aware Super, she will play a key role in driving the fund's European real estate strategy which includes originating and executing new investments, and overseeing portfolio and asset management of existing direct holdings.

Robertson joins from KKR in London, where she was a principal in the European real estate private equity team. Her work focused on building operational real estate platforms across purpose-built student accommodation, hotels and residential.

Before KKR, she was an associate partner at Real Estate Venture Capital (Revcap), and earlier in her career worked at PGIM Real Estate, specialising in equity and debt investments in Europe.

In announcing the appointments, Aware Super deputy chief investment officer and head of international Damien Webb said the appointments reinforced the asset owner's reputation in attracting a high calibre of investment professionals.

Webb said: "With these highly experienced new hires joining our UK-based team, we will be further supported to continue our strong growth trajectory and help contribute to the Fund's aspiration to be managing over $400 billion of members' retirement savings by 2030.

"Together, we are building a global team of passionate, curious and collaborative investment professionals, driven by our purpose of ensuring our members' best financial interests are at the centre of every investment decision."

The deputy chief investment officer noted that since Aware Super opened its London office in November 2023, it has invested more than £2 billion, following a commitment to invest £5.25 billion in the UK and continental Europe over five years.

"The addition of Steve, Frank and Katie now brings our London team to 24 people and provides an additional level of expertise and momentum as we continue to expand globally," he concluded.