Aware Super has promoted Mathieu Elshout to the role of head of international as the $235 billion fund shifts from building its London presence to consolidating the gains made since the office opened in 2023.

Elshout, who joined Aware Super’s London office almost two years ago and has been leading its European property strategy as senior portfolio manager, will take on the broader leadership role while retaining responsibility for the UK property portfolio. Prior to Aware he was head of sustainability and impact at PATRIZIA AG, and spent 12 years at PGGM Investments in a number of real estate roles, finishing there in 2021 as senior director, private real estate.

Chief investment officer Simon Warner said the internal promotion reflected Elshout’s command of the fund’s international operations and his standing in European and UK capital markets.

“Mathieu is the right leader for this stage of Aware Super’s international journey,” Warner said. “With the London office now well-established and highly regarded in European and UK capital markets, our focus is now on consolidating what we have built to continue to deliver strong risk-adjusted returns for our 1.3 million members.”

The London office, formally launched in November 2023 as part of Aware Super’s push to globalise its investment capability, now employs 28 investment professionals. Elshout said the fund was well-positioned to pursue opportunities across European markets.

“We’ve built a high performing property team and have been rapidly expanding our European portfolio,” he said. “I’m excited to now take on a broader leadership role as we continue to build on those strong foundations.”

The appointment follows the investment team restructure Warner announced in February 2026, which established a new leadership framework centred on whole-of-fund decision making and portfolio resilience. The head of international role was previously held by former Aware deputy CIO Damien Webb, who took up the top investment role at Brighter Super in April.