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Caisse Paritaire de Prévoyance de l'Industrie et de la Construction (CPPIC)
Jim Buchs directs CPPIC, a paritary pension fund for Swiss industry and construction workers, managing an estimated CHF 1.3 billion from Geneva.
Caisse Paritaire de Prévoyance de l'Industrie et de la Construction (CPPIC)
Founded as a paritary pension institution — governed equally by employer and employee representatives — CPPIC serves the mandatory and supplementary retirement needs of workers in Swiss industry and construction. The fund is headquartered on Rue de Malatrex in central Geneva. Aldo Ferrari serves as Vice-Chairman, with Claude Oberson leading finance and Sara Vilas Boas managing the real estate portfolio. The joint governance structure means investment decisions flow through a board composed of social partners, a model distinct from the single-employer foundations common elsewhere in Switzerland. CPPIC runs a bifurcated strategy centered on domestic real assets and venture capital fund commitments. The real estate book includes commercial property at the fund's own headquarters on Rue de Malatrex, along with a mixed-use asset at Place du Dizenier 1 in Chêne-Bougeries. On the venture side, CPPIC allocates to generalist VC funds rather than making direct startup investments — a posture consistent with its duty to preserve capital while seeking return enhancement outside traditional fixed income. The fund's Swiss real estate portfolio forms the core of its inflation-hedging allocation. The fund is an active participant in Swiss and European institutional networks. CPPIC is a member of ASIP, the Swiss pension fund association, and hosts the Groupement des institutions de prévoyance (GIP), a Geneva-area association of pension institutions. Its engagement posture is notable for a fund of its size: CPPIC joined the Ethos Engagement Pool in 2010 and is a signatory to both the IIGCC and Climate Action 100+, signaling a commitment to climate-aligned investing through collective engagement rather than divestment. CPPIC's structural distinction lies in its paritary governance — a mandatory joint board of employer and union representatives that must approve all asset allocation decisions. This architecture creates a built-in fiduciary check that slows decision-making compared to corporate or single-family structures, but also anchors the fund's conservative bias. The fund's dual identity as both a pension provider and a member-driven industry institution means its investment committee answers to construction foremen and factory delegates alongside professional trustees.
General information
Firm type
Pension Fund
Year founded
—
AUM
CHF 1.2B–1.5B (Altss estimate)
Location
Region
Europe
Country
Switzerland
City
Geneva
Corporate office
Rue de Malatrex 14, 1201 Genève, Switzerland
Principals
Jim Buchs
Director
Aldo Ferrari
Vice-Chairman
Claude Oberson
Head of Finance
Sara Vilas Boas
Real Estate Manager
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at CPPIC?
The fund is governed by a paritary board composed equally of employer and employee representatives, a structure mandated by Swiss law for industry-wide pension funds. Jim Buchs serves as Director, with Aldo Ferrari as Vice-Chairman. Day-to-day finance is led by Claude Oberson, while Sara Vilas Boas oversees the real estate portfolio. The board retains ultimate authority over strategic asset allocation.
How does CPPIC's paritary structure affect its investment approach?
The equal representation of employers and unions on the board creates a built-in conservative bias — both sides have veto power over allocation decisions. This tends to favor tangible assets like Swiss real estate and limits exposure to high-volatility strategies. The structure also means investment policy must satisfy both the capital-preservation instincts of employer delegates and the long-term security demands of labor representatives.
Does CPPIC invest directly in private companies or only through funds?
CPPIC's venture capital exposure comes through fund commitments rather than direct startup investments. The fund's publicly traceable activity suggests allocations to generalist Swiss and European VC funds. Its direct investment activity is concentrated in domestic real estate, including a commercial property on Rue de Malatrex and a mixed-use asset in Chêne-Bougeries.
What is CPPIC's relationship with the Ethos Foundation?
CPPIC is a founding member of the Ethos Foundation, the Swiss institutional investor group focused on ESG and corporate governance engagement. Aldo Ferrari, CPPIC's Vice-Chairman, represents the fund on the Ethos board. CPPIC joined the Ethos Engagement Pool in 2010, participating in collective shareholder engagement with Swiss listed companies.
How does CPPIC approach climate-aligned investing?
CPPIC is a signatory to both the IIGCC (Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change) and Climate Action 100+. The fund's approach relies on collective engagement through these networks rather than explicit fossil-fuel divestment. Ethos Foundation membership provides additional leverage for climate-related shareholder resolutions at Swiss companies.
What is GIP and how is CPPIC involved?
The Groupement des institutions de prévoyance (GIP) is a Geneva-area association of pension institutions. CPPIC hosts the group and is a member, creating a regional network for sharing investment and operational expertise among similarly structured paritary and non-paritary funds in the canton.
Is CPPIC's mandate limited to construction and industry workers?
CPPIC is the mandatory pension fund for workers in Swiss industry and construction whose employers are covered by the collective labor agreement (CCT) for those sectors. It primarily handles mandatory second-pillar contributions under the Swiss LPP/BVG system, though it may also offer supplementary plans. The fund does not serve the general public.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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