Ian McKnight is a long-time asset management CIO who currently holds a portfolio of roles, including as Chief Investment Officer of Tontine Trust, Senior Adviser of Cartwright, Hineni Capital and Giants Shoulders Capital as well as a series of other roles. He previously was Chief Investment Officer at Royal Mail for over 13 years.

Our conversation starts with Ian’s start as an actuary and how he found himself gravitating towards pensions – his affinity for working with people and problem solving made him a natural fit. We discuss some of his core investment beliefs including how to take calculated risks, and use examples of some of the innovative strategies he employed while CIO at Royal Mail. We discuss how government regulation (and attitude to risk) can hamstring investment opportunities and what can be done to avert this.

Ian explains Tontine Trust's potential to disrupt the annuity market by offering income for life with better returns. Ian also stressed the importance of networking, mentorship, and entrepreneurial spirit, advocating for a cultural shift in the UK to foster innovation and risk-taking.

Series 5 of 2025 is kindly sponsored by Diamond Hill. Diamond Hill invests on behalf of clients through a shared commitment to its valuation-driven investment principles, long-term perspective, capacity discipline and client alignment. An independent active asset manager with significant employee ownership, Diamond Hill’s investment strategies include differentiated US and non-US equity, alternative long-short equity and fixed income.

Episode 333: Ian McKnight, CIO and Adviser: Out of the Box Thinking in Pensions and Institutional Investing