New Mexico PERA Looking for New CIO

The $10.2 billion New Mexico Public Employees Retirement Association is looking for a new chief investment officer to fill the position vacated by Robert Gish, who retired in late October. The CIO will be responsible for making roughly $150 million of commitments to private equity in 2010.

The limited partner has a target allocation to private equity of 5 percent, with an actual allocation to the asset class of 1.7 percent, as of Sept. 30, 2009.

Past pledges have gone to Charterhouse Capital Partners IX LP, a London-based private equity fund that makes control-oriented leveraged buyouts in Western Europe; Kayne Anderson Energy Fund V LP, a private equity fund primarily focused on control-oriented investments in oil and gas production; Lincolnshire Equity Fund IV, a middle-market U.S. buyout fund; Nordic Capital Fund VII, a Northern Europe buyout fund; energy fund Quantum Energy Partners; and turnaround fund Sun Capital Partners V LP.

Candidates should have experience with portable-alpha strategies and alternative investments in hedge funds, private equity, real estate and commodities. The annual salary range for the position is $146,475 to $187,237.

Gish served the pension fund for 12 years. He also had a seven-year career with the New Mexico State Investment Council and worked for three years with the New Mexico State Board of Finance.

Joelle Mevi is filling the position in the interim. Mevi was previously the deputy director of investments at the pension fund for about a year. Before that she served as CIO of the New Mexico State Treasurer’s Office.