CONTACT US
Our mission
The 300 Club is a group of leading investment professionals from across the globe. Established in 2011, it emerged following recognition that the investment industry was blind-sided and ill-prepared for the global financial crisis and, more fundamentally, its underlying cause. A group of Chief Investment Officers (CIOs) came together to fight group think in investment in response to an urgent need to raise uncomfortable and fundamental questions about the very foundations of the investment industry and investing. Since its launch, the mission of the 300 Club has evolved to concentrate on the purpose of investing and asset management, which is the creation and protection of wealth for asset owners and their beneficiaries. Nonetheless, tensions remain today between investing and trading; long-termism versus short-term reported numbers; and risk defined as benchmark as opposed to inflation-adjusted value creation. There are also new challenges in helping individual investors access more sophisticated and complex markets. With climate change, geopolitics and macroeconomic factors rapidly changing the investment landscape, the 300 Club believes that we need to continue to challenge and change the mentality of the investment management industry and encourage investment managers to concentrate on the creation of value and wealth for the asset owner.
Thought leadership for the investment industry
A group of leading investment professionals raising awareness about the impact of current market thinking and behaviours, and to call for immediate action.
We appear to be at an inflection point every bit as dramatic as the one that launched the basis of modern investment thinking in the early 1950s. The 300 believes that current financial and investment market theory and practice is very likely to fail investors at their time of greatest need.
History has shown that countries, governments and markets are far from risk-free. Over-reliance on maintaining the status quo is likely to prove extremely costly to those who ignore the potential ultimate impacts of emerging instability. Much of regulatory and “fiduciary” conduct is driving investors towards so-called “risk-free” behaviour. This happening while the evidence points towards these strategies being far from risk-free is a testament to the folly of current collective wisdom.
For 50 years, markets have encouraged the view that a “risk-free” baseline exists and that markets will always rise. These are false and very dangerous assumptions.
The consultant-led best practice model of today does not serve our clients well.
There is an increasing belief that complex and expensive financial models and investment structures deliver better outcomes for investors. This thinking has severe limitations, particularly when stressed by market dynamics. These dynamics are likely to be atypical relative to market trends upon which these models and structures have been based. Also, the high level of structuring and investment cost buried in these structures will invariably lead to relatively poor performance, irrespective of the market outcome.
Investment Trends and Related Problems
*The “300” refers to the legendary 300 Spartans who in 480 BC held off the vastly numerically superior invading Persian army at the Battle of Thermopylae to give sufficient time for the remaining Greek forces to regroup. The story of the 300 has become a symbol of what can be achieved by a small band of high conviction individuals against overwhelming odds.
The above trends are likely to have material adverse consequences for investors. Together they represent an unprecedented convergence of flawed market theory and misaligned behaviours, with all the ingredients to create a “perfect storm” for investors and the economies in which they operate.
Conclusions
The 300 club formed to address an urgent need to raise the difficult questions about the very foundations of the investment landscape. “We might not be able to offer all the answers, but, like the original 300*, we hope that by our actions we can raise enough awareness of this threat and allow the industry time to realign itself to meet the challenges and minimise their ultimate impact on the end investor.”
Recent economic and investment trends will change the investing landscape over the next two decades. We are at a turning point which presents huge risks for ordinary savers.
The irony of the situation is that current trends reflect an ambition to recognise, measure, manage and minimise risk.
The consequences for markets is the herding of investors into increasingly overpriced assets with the false promise of de-correlated return or lower risk.
For media enquiries about The 300 Club please contact: press@federatedhermes.com
Instead of a ‘beat the benchmark’ approach, we should provide the counsel to help investors, (private or institutional) achieve their real-world goals. The insights we provide require a holistic view of the challenge. This takes the industry away from being component part suppliers to a much more rewarding and valuable (to the end client) role.
We might not be able to offer all the answers, but, like the original 300*, we hope that by our actions we can raise enough awareness of this threat and allow the industry time to realign itself to meet the challenges and minimise their ultimate impact on the end investor.
The basis of these fashionable products and the basis of most modern models that assume a risk-free baseline is equally flawed. Coupled with this, the orchestrated shift of investor interest away from “risk capital” is a major blow for Western economies. They desperately need investment capital to help regenerate their competitiveness and restore the health of their accounts.
This focus is not just a knee jerk reaction by individual investors to perceived greater risk and uncertainty. It is in the thinking of regulators of investment markets across the globe, in strategies pursued by major investing institutions and in the sponsors of Pension Funds and their advisors.
1.
2.
3.
Contact us
Meet our members
© 2025 The 300 Club
Home
Members
Terms and conditions
Cookie Policy
First name
Saker
Last name
Organization/Role
AUM BSD Bn
Country
Nusseibeh
Founder. CEO, Federated Hermes Ltd
800
UK
Chris
Ailman
Chair. Retired, last role: CIO CalPERS
N/A
US
Aleksander
Weiler
CIO, Constanter Investment Office
Switz.
Alison
Tarditi
CIO, Australian Commonwealth Superannuation Corp
27
Australia
Allison
Hill
CIO, QIC
62
Blake
Hutcheson
President and CEO, OMERS
92
Canada
Satish
Rai
CIO, OMERS
As above
Craig
Husting
CIO, Public School and Education Employee Retirement Systems of Missouri
55
Damian
Graham
CIO, Aware Super (previously First State Super)
111
Geoffrey
Rubin
One Fund Strategist, CPP Investments
Edwin
Denson
CIO, State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB)
156
Elizabeth
Corley
Chair, Schroders
973
Gordon
Fyfe
CEO and CIO, British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI)
162
Jase
Auby
CIO, Teacher Retirement System of Texas
203
Mark
Delaney
CIO, Australian Super
188
Walker
CIO, Coal Pension Trustees
Sally
Bridgeland
Chair, Brunel Pension Partnership
37
Sam
Masoudi
CIO, Wyoming Retirement System
11
Scott
Chan
CIO, CalSTRS
346
Shawn
Wischmeier
CIO, Margaret A Cargill Foundation
9
Sindo
Oliveros
CEO/CIO, KAUST investment Company
23
Sonya
Sawtell-Rickson
CIO, HESTA Super Fund
31
Stefan
Dunatov
Chief Strategist, Abu Dhabi Investment Council (ADIC)
1050
Abu Dhabi
Stephen
Gilmore
CEO, CalPERS
502
Bob
Maynard
Retired, last role: CIO Idaho Public Employee System (PERSI)
Collette
Chilton
Retired, last role: CIO Williams College
Jaap
van Dam
Owner, Van Dam Investment Advisory, former Principal Director Investment Strategy at PPGM (2005-2023)
Robert
Talbut
Retired, last role: CIO Royal London
Alan
Brown
Retired/board member, last role: CIO of Schroders 2005-2012
Roger
Urwin
Global Head of Investment Content, Willis Towers Watson
Ron
Barin
Head of Global Strategy, Fasanara Capital
Yves
Choueifaty
President, TOBAM
Zuhair
Mohammed
Head of Investment, Lane Clark and Peacock (LCP)
These terms and conditions govern the visitors’ use of The 300 website Intellectual Property All materials which form part of this website, its underlying structure or content from time to time are subject to copyright. Other than accessing the website for your own informational not for profit purposes and downloading certain permitted items (subject to any additional on-screen restrictions), you may not use, copy, download, reproduce, modify or transmit all or any part of any such materials. Any use of this website, its content or underlying structure is subject to these terms and conditions. Any unauthorised use of this website or any such materials may constitute an offence under the Computer Misuse Act 1990. Warranties and Liability Information provided on the website is intended to provide general information on matters of interest only. The information does not constitute accounting, financial, consulting, investment, legal or any other professional advice. You are advised to consult a professional adviser should you require such information or advice. The 300 will use reasonable efforts to ensure but does not warrant that information or content contained on the website is accurate and up to date. The 300 does not warrant that the operation of the website or any facilities contained on or accessed via it will be continuous or error-free. All implied warranties, terms or conditions are expressly excluded to the maximum extent permitted by law. The 300 shall have no liability to any user of this website or any other person for any claim, loss or damage arising out of or relating to the use of all or any part of this website, its content or structure or reliance on information contained on it whether under contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty or otherwise (other than in relation to death, personal injury or fraud). Third Parties This website may contain links or references to other third party websites from time to time. Such sites are operated by third parties and are not under the control of The 300 Club. The existence of such links does not imply any affiliation or association between The 300 Club and the third party nor any endorsement of any third party product. The 300 accepts no responsibility in relation to such links or third party sites and makes no representations, guarantees or warranties in relation to the third party, the quality of the website or the accuracy of, title to or otherwise in relation to the information contained thereon. Governing Law Use of this website is governed by and will be construed in accordance with the laws of England. You irrevocably submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts. Personal Information We will use any personal information you give us to operate this website and enhance our services to you. We may also contact you by email, post or otherwise from time to time with information concerning additional materials, products or services which may be of interest to you. We may also disclose your information to third parties who may contact you for that purpose. Please contact us at the address above if you do not want us to use your information for this purpose. We may use “cookies” when you access the website. Cookies are small bits of code, which are usually stored on your computer’s hard drive, designed to enable the website to operate more efficiently and which may store your personal information (depending on your computer facilities). Further Information For further information relating to these terms and conditions or The 300 please email digital.marketing@federatedhermes.com.
Back
< Back
Cookie Notice 04 April 2025 Introduction This Cookie Notice applies to the 300 Club (“we, “us”, or “our”) and our website at https://www.the300club.org/ (“Website”). Our website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience and provide personalised services. This Cookie Notice explains how we use cookies and similar technologies to recognise you when you visit our Website, why we use them, and rights to control our use of them. What are Cookies? Cookies are small text files that are sent to or accessed from your web browser or your computer's hard drive. A cookie typically contains the name of the domain (internet location) from which the cookie originated, the "lifetime" of the cookie (i.e., when it expires) and a randomly generated unique number or similar identifier. A cookie also may contain information about your computer, such as user settings, browsing history and activities conducted while using a website. To learn more about cookies generally, visit https://allaboutcookies.org/. Cookies are widely used by website owners to make their websites work or to work more efficiently, as well as to provide analytics data about the operation of their websites. Cookies can be set on a "session" basis or on a "persistent" basis. A "session" cookie is set at the beginning of a browsing session and expires once the web browser is closed or the session ends. "Persistent" cookies are set in the same manner as "session" cookies but remain valid until a determined expiration date unless deleted by the user. First-party and third-party cookies Cookies set by us, as the website owner, are called first-party cookies. Cookies set by any other party are called third-party cookies. Third-party cookies enable third-party features or functionality on or through a website, such as interactive content and analytics. The parties that set third-party cookies can recognize your computer both when it visits our Website and also when it visits certain other websites. Types of Cookies We Use on our Website We use first-party cookies and third-party cookies for several reasons. Some cookies are required for technical reasons for the Website to operate; we refer to these as "essential" or "strictly necessary" cookies. Other cookies enable us to track and target the interests of our visitors to enhance the experience on the Website or other websites. Insofar as those cookies are not strictly necessary for the provision of our Website and services, we will ask you to consent to our use of cookies when you first visit our Website. The types of cookies served through the Website and the purposes they perform are described below: • Essential or Strictly Necessary Cookies: These cookies are necessary for the Website to function properly. They enable basic features such as page navigation and access to secure areas. This category of cookies cannot be disabled. The strictly necessary cookies used on our Website are categorised as follows:
• “Other” Cookies: These cookies are used for various purposes that do not fit into the standard categories such as Strictly Necessary, Advertisement, Analytics, Functional, or Performance cookies. They may include, but are not limited to: (a) Tracking cookies, which monitor user behaviour across different websites for purposes other than advertising or analytics; or (b) Custom cookies, created for specific functionalities or unique purposes tailored to a particular website. The Other cookies used on our Website are categorised as follows:
Cookie Key
Domain
Path
Cookie Type
Expiration
Description
This cookie is used to distinguish between humans and bots. This is beneficial for the website, in order to make valid reports on the use of their website.
30 minutes
Third-party
/
.info.federatedhermes.com
__cf_bm Moreinfo
Cookie
Type
experience_tracker/federated-hermes/the-300-club
view.ceros.com
never
Other
domain_tracker/federated-hermes/the-300-club
Your Choices You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to: Block or delete cookies. Set preferences for certain types of cookies. Receive notifications when cookies are being used. Please note that blocking or deleting cookies may affect your experience on our Website. Consent By continuing to use our Website, you consent to our use of cookies as described in this notice. If you do not agree to our use of cookies, please adjust your browser settings accordingly or refrain from using our Website. Changes to this Notice We may update this Cookie Notice from time to time to reflect changes to the cookies we use for operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. Please visit this Cookie Notice regularly to stay informed about our use of cookies and related technologies. The last updated date at the top of this Cookie Notice indicates when it was last updated. Contact Us If you have any questions about our use of cookies, please contact us at digital.marketing@federatedhermes.com.
User token for tracking individual users across experience visits
Full URL of the referring page, domain of the referring page
