Aware Super will open its first office in Europe in the coming months and has appointed deputy chief investment officer Damien Webb as head of international as part of an offshore expansion strategy.  

The $150 billion super fund joins the likes of Australian Super and IFM to set up an international presence to grow its asset book. Large super funds are increasingly seeking assets offshore as they become size-constrained in the Australian market.  

In his new role, Webb will focus on infrastructure, private equity and property. He joined Aware Super in January 2014 as head of income and real assets and was promoted to deputy chief investment officer in September 2021. Further details of the team structure and size will be released at a later stage according to the fund’s spokeswoman.  

“We are delighted to announce Damien has accepted this exciting new growth opportunity within the investments team as we continue to focus on key initiatives such as international expansion to deliver longer-term strong returns and competitive fees for members,” Aware’s CIO Damian Graham said in a statement last week.