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Pensionskasse BKW (PK BKW)
Pensionskasse BKW serves as the occupational pension fund for employees of the BKW Group, a Bern-based international energy and infrastructure company.
Pensionskasse BKW (PK BKW)
Pensionskasse BKW serves as the occupational pension fund for employees of the BKW Group, a Bern-based international energy and infrastructure company. The fund operates under Swiss federal pension law as a hybrid defined-benefit/defined-contribution plan, with BKW AG as the sponsoring employer and insured members drawn from the parent company's workforce. Board president Dr. Martin Zwyssig, who is also CFO of BKW Group, anchors the governance structure alongside managing director Remo Keller and vice president Daniel Steffen, BKW's head of corporate finance. The fund allocates capital across a mix of direct Swiss real estate holdings, global listed real estate funds, mortgage lending, and broader liquid market exposures. Its property portfolio includes a commercial office asset at Moserstrasse 2 in Bern. On the climate side, PK BKW participates in engagement initiatives through Climate Action 100+, leveraging relationships with asset management partners such as IST and UBS to exercise stewardship over carbon-intensive holdings. The geographic center of gravity is domestic Swiss real estate and mortgage credit, supplemented by global listed property exposure. PK BKW is supervised by the Bernische BVG- und Stiftungsaufsicht, the regulatory body for canton-level pension oversight. The fund's governance structure places senior BKW Group executives in key fiduciary roles, creating tight alignment between the sponsor's operational priorities and the pension scheme's investment posture. The direct mortgage loan book and the direct real estate portfolio — both concentrated in Switzerland — give the fund an illiquid, yield-oriented tilt uncommon among smaller Swiss corporate pension schemes, which typically outsource such exposures. Structurally, PK BKW is a closed, single-employer pension fund rather than a multi-employer collective foundation common across Swiss SMEs. This architecture gives the sponsor direct control over investment policy and funding levels, but also concentrates risk. The embedded BKW Group executive presence on the board means the fund's strategic asset allocation can be expected to reflect the long-duration, asset-heavy perspective of an energy infrastructure operator.
General information
Firm type
Pension Fund
Year founded
—
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
Europe
Country
Switzerland
City
Bern
Corporate office
Moserstrasse 2, 3014 Bern, Switzerland
Principals
Dr. Martin Zwyssig
President of the Board of Trustees
Remo Keller
Managing Director
Daniel Steffen
Vice President of the Board of Trustees
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
What is the relationship between Pensionskasse BKW and BKW AG?
Pensionskasse BKW is the single-employer occupational pension fund for BKW AG, the Swiss energy and infrastructure group. BKW AG sponsors the fund and its employees constitute the insured membership. The fund's board includes senior BKW Group executives, including CFO Martin Zwyssig as president and head of corporate finance Daniel Steffen as vice president, ensuring close alignment between corporate treasury and pension investment governance.
How does PK BKW's direct real estate allocation work?
The fund holds a direct portfolio of Swiss real estate, including a known commercial property at Moserstrasse 2 in Bern. This is complemented by a global listed real estate fund allocation and a domestic mortgage lending book. The combination of directly held property — uncommon for pension funds of this size, which often use pooled vehicles — and mortgage origination gives PK BKW a notably illiquid, Switzerland-centric yield profile.
Who makes the investment decisions at Pensionskasse BKW?
The Board of Trustees, chaired by Dr. Martin Zwyssig, holds ultimate fiduciary responsibility for investment policy and strategic asset allocation. Day-to-day operational management falls to managing director Remo Keller. Because multiple board members hold senior finance roles at the sponsoring employer BKW AG, investment decision-making is closely informed by the parent company's treasury and risk management perspective.
Does Pensionskasse BKW have a climate investment policy?
The fund participates in Climate Action 100+, the global investor engagement initiative targeting large corporate emitters, through its asset management partners IST and UBS. This suggests a stewardship-focused climate approach rather than a fossil-fuel exclusion strategy. As the pension fund of an energy infrastructure company, PK BKW's climate posture is likely to emphasize engagement and transition rather than divestment.
How is Pensionskasse BKW regulated?
The fund is supervised by the Bernische BVG- und Stiftungsaufsicht, the regulatory authority responsible for occupational pension schemes in the Canton of Bern under Swiss federal law. This canton-level supervision is standard for Swiss pension funds and means PK BKW reports locally rather than to a centralized national regulator.
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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