The Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS), based in Augusta, has approved two alternative investment commitments totalling up to $200m, according to a report by Pensions & Investments Online citing James Bennett, the Chief Investment Officer of the $20.2bn pension fund.
At its meeting on 14 November, the MainePERS board greenlit two commitments, pending final due diligence, legal review, and negotiations: an allocation of up to $100m to the Garda Fixed Income Relative Value Opportunity Fund, managed by Garda Capital Partners – a new partnership for the pension fund – and an additional $100m commitment to Brookfield Infrastructure Debt Fund IV, a fund managed by Brookfield Asset Management.
Alternative investments make up a substantial portion of MainePERS’ portfolio, accounting for 57.5% of its total assets. This category includes private equity, infrastructure, natural resources, alternative credit, real estate, and risk-diversifying strategies.