2025 Elite Middle East & Asia-Pacific Allocators, Part 5
Markets Group is proud to present the 2025 Elite Middle East & Asia-Pacific Allocators list, recognizing the leading institutional allocators driving capital deployment across two of the world’s most dynamic regions. This list highlights senior professionals from sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, superannuation funds, endowments, insurance groups, public investment institutions, and family offices whose strategic decisions continue to shape the global investment landscape.
Part of our broader Elite Series, this recognition honors individuals who bring foresight, discipline, and innovation to navigating evolving market opportunities across asset classes. The list was compiled through allocator engagement and institutional feedback, reflecting each honoree’s influence and leadership in advancing investment strategies throughout the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.
We invite you to explore the list and celebrate the allocators whose vision and conviction continue to define excellence in institutional investing.
Kiyoshi Iwashina is the chief investment officer of the Noritz Corporate Pension Fund. He joined the organization in 2014 and...
Kiyoshi Iwashina is the chief investment officer of the Noritz Corporate Pension Fund. He joined the organization in 2014 and oversees the fund’s overall investment strategy and asset allocation. With a career spanning more than three decades, he previously held a variety of senior investment roles at Dai-ichi Mutual Life Insurance Co., including in foreign equities, domestic loans, overseas macroeconomic research, and external manager due diligence. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in agriculture from the University of Tokyo and a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
LOCATION
Akashi
REGION
Japan
TIME AT FUND
11 year(s)
Shali Ligaretnam
Victorian Funds Management Corporation Government
Shali Lingaretnam is head of investment stewardship at the Victorian Funds Management Corp. (VFMC), where she leads the firm’s stewardship...
Shali Lingaretnam is head of investment stewardship at the Victorian Funds Management Corp. (VFMC), where she leads the firm’s stewardship and ESG initiatives across its multi-asset portfolio. She joined VFMC in 2020 as a senior portfolio manager in equities before taking on her current role in 2021. Lingaretnam has more than two decades of investment experience spanning asset management, equity research, and portfolio construction, having previously served as head of investments at CCI Asset Management, overseeing a $2B portfolio. Earlier in her career, she held investment roles at Macquarie Group Ltd., Aviva, Lonsec, and IOOF Investment Management. She holds a Master of Applied Finance from Macquarie University and a Bachelor of Business from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University.
LOCATION
Melbourne
REGION
Australia
TIME AT FUND
5 year(s)
Mark Rider
Brighter Super Superannuation Scheme
Mark Rider is the chief investment officer of Brighter Super, a Queensland-based superannuation fund, where he oversees investment outcomes across...
Mark Rider is the chief investment officer of Brighter Super, a Queensland-based superannuation fund, where he oversees investment outcomes across the fund’s diverse range of portfolios and leads the investment team. Appointed in February 2022, he brings more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, spanning economics, investment strategy, and portfolio management.
Before joining Brighter Super, Rider served as CIO at Christian Super, as well as CIO for wealth and private banking at ANZ, Australian chief economist at UBS Investment Bank, and economist at the Reserve Bank of Australia, where he began his career.
Mark holds a Bachelor of Economics from Macquarie University and a Master of Science in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
