Doug Heron is Chief Executive Officer at CERN pension fund based in Geneva, a role he assumed in August 2021. He was formerly Chief Executive Officer of Lothian Pension Fund, and prior to that held a number of finance industry roles throughout banking and asset management. He’s a trustee director of the NatWest group pension funds and was a Member of the Business Council of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland for five years.

Our conversation covers Doug’s early career and some of the stints abroad that proved to be formative – namely a spell in China and now the current life change which saw him move his family to Geneva from Scotland in the summer of 2021 to take up the role at CERN. We examine the challenges and tremendous opportunities in embarking upon an international career and look at some of the similarities in running pension funds no matter the context.  Doug shares some of his core investment beliefs and working habits – such as his preference for low waste – keeping communications efficient and accessible.

We reflect on some of Doug’s outside interest – such as coaching youth sport and his role on the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, and how this informed his investing work, and finally turn to some key advice for all of us – to “leave early and cycle home” as a nod to wellness, avoiding burnout and retaining perspective in life.

This podcast is a collaboration between Fiftyfaces Productions and Room151. Room151 is an online news, opinion and resource service for local authority Section 151 and other senior officers covering treasury, strategic finance, funding, resources and risk. Room151 was launched on 8th November, 2011, by Longview Productions Ltd, the organiser of the Local Authority Treasurers’ Investment Forum and is a small, privately owned, publishing and events company. There is more information about Room151 here: https://www.room151.co.uk/about/