The $6 billion Officers Superannuation Fund for Commonwealth Bank employees has appointed its first chief investment officer, as chairperson Neal Cochrane continues his search for an inaugral chief executive officer at the 64,000-member fund.

Gerard Parlevliet, the general manager of fund secretariat OSF Trustee Services for the past 12 years, has accepted the newly created post.

Cochrane said he was delighted at Parlevliet’s appointment, which he hoped would see the fund continue its top quartile investment performance, and had “settled things down” among secretariat staff.

He continues to search for a CEO, without recourse to an executive search firm. Despite speculation that the appointment would come from within the Commonwealth Bank, , Cochrane said that an “outstanding shortlist” of internal and external candidates had been identified.

Cochrane said he wanted the CEO to take the fund to “the next level”, and help it increase retention among members who leave employment with the Commonwealth Bank.