NETHERLANDS - Robeco board member and chief executive of Sustainable Asset Management (SAM) Sander van Eijkern has resigned over a "difference of opinion with respect to the future strategy" of the Dutch asset manager.

SOUTH KOREA/UK - The US private equity owner of Gatwick airport has confirmed that it will sell a 12% stake to South Korea's state pension fund.

ITALY - The pension fund for tourism, commerce and service sector workers (Fon.Te) launched manager searches for two of its defined contribution funds for mandates worth €900m (US$1.2bn).

US - The US Department of Labor (DOL) and the Treasury are requesting feedback on the implications of integrating a lifetime annuity arrangement into defined contribution plans.

NEW ZEALAND - The New Zealand Superannuation Fund has invested US$125m in catastrophe-linked securities.

GLOBAL - Hewitt Associates has reported a doubling in the number of hedge fund manager searches during 2009 in comparison with the previous year.

SWITZERLAND - The funding levels of Swiss pension funds continued to recover in the last three months of 2009 as the stock market rally refused to fizzle, a survey showed.

Investors in Australia, the UK and Sweden ranked highest in a new "Environmental Real Estate Index" developed on the back of a global environmental survey commissioned by three large European pension funds.

GLOBAL - Investors in Australia, the UK and Sweden ranked highest in a new "Environmental Real Estate Index" developed on the back of a global environmental survey commissioned by three large European pension funds.

US - Absolute return currency manager Hathersage Capital Management has hired former head of currency at Hermes Investment Management Momtchil Pojarliev.