New head of funds arrives as the plan reshuffles private capital leadership after CIO exit
The Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System has recruited a senior executive from CAAT Pension Plan to build out its external private equity funds strategy, extending a shift toward investing alongside partners and outside managers.
Adam Buzanis, CAAT's head of private markets, joined OMERS on August 3 as head of funds and will report to Michael Block, according to the pension plan.
In the role he will develop the external private equity funds strategy and advance efforts to expand co-investments across the portfolio, OMERS said.
The hire caps several weeks of senior changes on the investment team.
Bloomberg reported that OMERS moved to fill out its private capital leadership after Ralph Berg, its former chief investment officer, left to join Singapore's Temasek.
Earlier this month, as per Bloomberg, the plan elevated Michael Hill to global head of infrastructure and private equity and handed Block a wider mandate over private capital investments.
The appointment lands as OMERS reshapes how it deploys money in private markets.
Over the past two years the plan has overhauled its private equity unit, halting direct buyout investments in Europe and turning toward co-investments and external private equity managers, Bloomberg reported.
Buzanis spent about seven years at CAAT, running its private equity strategy before taking over private markets in April 2026, per his LinkedIn profile.
Before CAAT he held investment roles at Prime Quadrant, Westcourt Capital Corporation, Connor, Clark & Lunn Financial Group and CIBC.
His experience spans primary funds, co-investments and secondaries, according to the pension plan.
In a statement emailed to Bloomberg, Block said, "Omers has made meaningful progress building our funds program, and Adam's arrival marks an important next step in that work."
He added that Buzanis brings expertise in fund investing and portfolio construction and a broad network of manager relationships.
OMERS said the external funds program broadens how it accesses private markets and adds flexibility in how it deploys capital over time, running alongside its direct investing capabilities.
