Hazel McNeilage, the former head of asset consulting at Towers Perrin who was instrumental in its Total Risk Management purchase, will return to Australia and the public sector super milieu after spending six years offshore with Principal Global Investors, to become head of funds management at Queensland Investment Corporation.

McNeilage, whose children live in Australia, had been global head of sales for Principal in New York, after leaving Australia in 2003 to turn around the manager’s Singapore office.

McNeilage will drive QIC’s ten internal investment ’boutiques’, reporting to CEO Doug McTaggart, who is understood to have insisted his head of funds mangement have experience with an international client base.

She will commence on January 4 at the $65 billion manager.

“Hazel has one of the most impressive CVs in global funds management and she will be a great asset for the QIC management team,” McTaggart said.

“She has strong experience in managing a multi-boutique investment structure and a proven track record in growing institutional asset management businesses.

“After working for many years in the UK, South Africa, Singapore and the US, Hazel saw this as an opportunity to return to Australia in a challenging role.”