John Formusa has been appointed director of institutional investment solutions, Russel Investments Canada said Thursday.

Formusa joins Russell with a track record of success in institutional investment management, investment portfolio construction and management, governance and consulting. In this new role, he will be responsible for supporting the services offered to Canadian plan sponsors and other institutional investors on an array of investment strategies and solutions, including implementation services, managed investments and risk management.

“John brings deep knowledge and significant achievements in the institutional market to his new leadership role. The combination of his direct and practical experience in overseeing the development and execution of strategic, legal, operational, and investment decisions will bring great value to clients,” says David Feather, president and managing director of Russell Investments Canada.

Most recently, Formusa was vice president, pension fund, at Ontario’s Hydro One Inc. Over the past decade, he played a pivotal role in establishing the Hydro One Pension Plan, including implementation of the plan’s governance structure and investment manager selection process. He also arranged for specialized transition management and rebalancing overlay services.

Formusa also has a background in portfolio management. While working at Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (later Clarica Life), he managed a $150 million portfolio of diversified real estate assets on behalf of pension plan investors.

Formusa will be based in Russell’s Toronto office and will work closely with Russell’s Canadian institutional solutions team.

IE