Robeco Institutional Leaders Scholarship
Congratulations Peter Barany, ART - winner of the Robeco Institutional Leaders Scholarship which was presented at the CIO Forum Dinner on 4 June.
Peter will travel to Rotterdam to visit Robeco’s head office and join the Robeco Institutional Investment Leaders Program.
Chris Wildman, Robeco, Peter Barany, ART & Anton Eser, Robeco
“I was honoured to attend the Robeco Institutional Investment Leaders Program, in London, as a FEAL Scholarship recipient during November this year.
The program brought together global leaders from major investment centres who were keen to share their knowledge including speakers from academia and industry. They provided an opportunity for me to draw insights and build relationships – an amazing environment to be a part of.
Key takeaways include the ongoing geopolitical tension between world orders including the battle for technology supremacy, inflationary pressures on the 5-year outlook for returns, the changing definition of ‘safe haven’ and what this means for capital flows and investing. The risks and opportunities of artificial intelligence continue to be topical and despite weakened momentum for net zero commitments over the past year, staying the course remain important.
In addition to conversations with global investment leaders, it was great to catch up with fellow Aussies both at the program and over dinner the night prior!
I am grateful to FEAL and Robeco for the valued opportunity this was, it has enabled me to connect with a range of very interesting people from around the globe. The FEAL Scholarship provided me a fantastic experience, and I strongly recommend the program to others.”
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About the Robeco Institutional Leaders Scholarship
The Robeco Institutional Leaders Scholarship enables the recipient to travel to Rotterdam, The Netherlands and visit Robeco’s head office to attend the Robeco Institutional Investment Leaders Program. Over two days attendees will join an interactive education program with leading academics, industry experts and peers to provide you with a deeper understanding of the investment landscape and sustainability. You will also be given ample opportunity to discuss and share experiences with your peers on how to implement insights into your strategy and portfolio.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I apply?
Applications for the next scholarship will open in March 2027.
Eligibility
Current and aspiring CIOs, including Heads of asset classes in larger funds, with a particular leaning/interest towards ESG.
What is the selection panel looking for?
The selection panel is looking for concise, relevant and informative responses to the questions posed in the application form. In a two or three paragraph response provide a strong ‘business case’ as to why you should receive a Scholarship this year. Consider how the content of the Robeco Institutional Leaders Scholarship would assist you in your current role, in meeting your professional and career goals, and/or in achieving specific KPIs. Try to be specific, clear and direct and help the selection panel understand how the Scholarship opportunity would be helpful to you.
Who is on the selection panel?
Your application will be treated with the strictest confidence at all times by our selection panel:
Steve Hill, Aware Super & FEAL director
Belinda Ray, AustralianSuper & FEAL director
Chris Wildman, Robeco
Louise Watson, Natixis Investment Management
Tim Helyar, State Street
Key dates to remember
Applications opened 25th March and closed on 15th May 2026. The scholarship was presented at CIO Forum Dinner on 4 June 2026. The next scholarship will open for applications in March 2027.
The scholarship winner will attend the Robeco Institutional Investment Leaders Forum in Rotterdam from 11 to 12 November 2026.
I have submitted an application previously but was not successful – should I apply again?
Former applicants are encouraged to reapply. Review your previous Scholarship application and consider how you could improve it. Ensure the question responses reflect your current thoughts and needs.
I am not a FEAL member. Can I still apply?
The ability to receive FEAL scholarships is one of the benefits of FEAL Membership. If you are not currently a member of FEAL then why not apply for membership and a scholarship at the same time. All FEAL members, whether new or existing, are eligible to receive a Scholarship. Click here for membership details.
“In October I had the opportunity to attend the Robeco Institutional Investment Leaders Program, in Rotterdam as part of the FEAL Robeco Executive scholarship. The course provided an invaluable experience, offering the chance to connect with peers from funds spanning Europe to South America. The program highlighted how innovations in AI are being applied to help interpret and utilise Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) information , providing fresh insights into sustainable investing. Engaging discussions on emerging geopolitical risks and their market implications were particularly relevant given today’s rapidly shifting landscape.
Attendees had the opportunity to interrogate Robeco’s investment teams, and to hear about the firm’s long history of integrating ESG data into their investment processes. Whilst the formal part of the course was constructive the dinner, set in the glass house of a privately-run botanic garden in the heart of the city, was memorable. Sitting among a collection of cacti from across the globe stimulated some meaningful conversations and a deeper appreciation of the diverse perspectives shared throughout the event. Thet trip also provided the opportunity to explore Rotterdam and hold discussions with peer funds, and gain a greater understanding of the challenges and opportunities of other mid-sized asset owners operating in other markets, as well as share some of the experiences from Australia. I greatly appreciate the opportunity afforded by FEAL and Robeco and would highly recommend the experience to others.”
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I caught up with Claire Molinari from CareSuper and Simon Good from Robeco to hear about Claire’s experience as the 2023 winner of the FEAL Robeco Scholarship attending Robeco’s Executive Leadership program ‘Charting the course: finding our way in a changing environment’ in Rotterdam in October 2023.
Some of the highlights that Claire called out from the course were presentations from Sonny Kapoor, CEO of the Nordic Institute for Finance, Technology & Sustainability, including his talking to the impacts of Brexit and wider geopolitics, and Nina Schick talking to the impacts of generative AI. She also appreciated the deep dive on Robeco’s quant model, including the modelling of climate change and the biodiversity outlook and the data sources that form the inputs to the model. Claire said that it was particularly good to talk to the other attendees and understand their different positions and outlooks on sustainable investing.
Simon confirmed that the Investment Leadership Program is scheduled to run again later in the year (16-17th October 2024) and we are looking forward to having another strong representation from asset owners across the globe.
This leadership program takes place on an annual basis out of Robeco’s Head Office in the Netherlands. A good initiative which always has a healthy representation from Australia, as it brings investment leaders including sustainable investment specialists together for a day and a half of stimulating dialogue and interaction.
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I recently caught up over lunch with Chris Wildman, Marlot 't Hart from Robeco, and Fiona Mann from Brighter Super to hear about Fi’s experience attending Robeco’s Executive Leadership course in Rotterdam in October 2023 after winning this Scholarship in 2022. Chris had also arranged for Fi to spend a day at Robeco’s Head Office, before attending the course, for some one-on-one facetime with investors. The Executive Leadership program, themed 'Charting the course: finding our way in a changing environment', brought together industry executives from around the globe providing valuable insights into the strong connections between Robeco and the Erasmus University.
Fi was impressed by Robeco’s commitment to sustainability within their own operations and activities, constantly demonstrating that they ‘walk the talk’. She highlighted the insights gained and diverse perspectives on sustainability from Robeco leaders, the external speakers and other participants. "It was really interesting to hear different perspectives in terms of peoples’ journeys in sustainability: where they are with climate or their pathway towards net zero." Notable sessions included Robeco’s Expected Returns publication, a session on Next-gen quant investing, and a presentation by Gail Whiteman from Erasmus University.
Fi said that the Scholarship experience really emphasised Robeco’s commitment to research: “They don’t assume the status quo, just because everyone else accepts it. They look at opposing views to ensure that they build investment strategies with every outcome considered and stress tested.”
Fi’s experience as winner of the Robeco Executive Scholarship echoes the feedback that we receive from winners of the other scholarships on offer – the winners consistently report that the scholarship experience has made a tangible impact to them as leaders.
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“I caught up with the winner of the Robeco Executive Scholarship in 2020, Chris Drew of REST, and Chris Wildman of Robeco to hear about Chris Drew’s experience undertaking the Robeco Executive Leadership course ‘Investing in the reality of today to prepare for the world of tomorrow’ in Rotterdam in October 2022. It sounds like a great experience, allowing Chris to hear from and meet academics, investment experts, WWF NL and peers from across the globe. As well as attending the two-day course, which was provided by Robeco, Chris also spent time meeting with senior Robeco investment professionals at their head office.
Talking to us about the course, Chris said that comparing where different participants – from Japan, South Africa and across Europe – were in the sustainable investing journey was particularly interesting. Chris also valued practical insights and tools, including learning about Robeco’s forward looking measure called Carbon Beta which is an additional climate risk indicator as well as Robeco’s SDG Investment Framework. This has helped to shape Chris’s thinking around how to integrate Rest’s five prioritised SDGs into the equities investment framework.”
Katrina Bacon, CEO FEAL
The Robeco Institutional Investment Leaders Program was held in London on 4 November 2025, with an optional visit to Robeco’s Head Office in Rotterdam on 3 November
Overall theme: Shaping the future in a changing world
Board Breakfast
Geopolitical situation
5-year Outlook
Panel: hearing from the experts – investing in challenging times
Explore the growing influence of AI in investment and alternative strategies
Delivering customised index solutions
Navigating the Net Zero Transition - The role of investors on society's road to net zero
Implementing climate transition solutions: Practicalities, trade-offs and best practices
The Robeco Institutional Investment Leaders Program 2026 will be held in Rotterdam, The Netherlands between 11 and 12 November 2026 with the theme ‘Engineering Alpha for the Real World’.
PAST WINNERS
2025 - Susan Chau
2024 - Jessie Pettigrew
2023 - Claire Molinari
2022 - Fiona Mann
2020 - Chris Drew
Terms and Conditions
Applications received after the specified deadline will not be considered
The decision of the selection panel is final and no subsequent correspondence will be entered into
The Robeco Scholarship is open to FEAL members only. Non-members who are executives from profit-to-member funds are eligible to apply for individual executive membership of FEAL so that they can submit a scholarship application
Applicants must be employed with their fund at the time of the Scholarship
Successful applicants may be called upon to deliver a report to FEAL members
FEAL Directors are not eligible to apply
The Scholarship covers all costs, including premium economy return flights to Rotterdam, associated with attendance of the Robeco Institutional Investment Leaders Program
