Johanna Kyrklund
The Navigator
Judgement in the fog, money, risk and the call others cannot make.
Johanna Kyrklund demonstrates the Navigator archetype throughout this interview, consistently framing asset allocation not as prediction but as disciplined risk assessment across shifting terrain. She describes her CIO role as one of orientation rather than command, explicitly rejecting a house view in favor of creating conditions where portfolio managers self-correct through peer scrutiny and shared intelligence. Kyrklund reads macro transitions carefully, from deflationary to inflationary regimes, and recalibrates positioning incrementally, exemplified by her deliberate shift into commodities. Her leadership style is defined by wayfinding through complexity, whether coordinating across global investment teams, managing ESG integration alongside rate uncertainty, or charting a personal course through an industry that initially offered her few reference points. She leads by mapping the landscape for others rather than imposing direction.
“Asset allocation is really about trying to manage risks you can't diversify away that exists in everybody's portfolio. Equity risk, rate risk, credit risk, commodity risk.”
“We don't have a house view. I'm not here to tell each investor what their view on rates should be. What I'm here to do is ensure we're supporting them with the platform.”
“I inched my way along like a tortoise. I wasn't bold. I struggled a lot. And I always say to people, it does get better. Just stretch yourself a little bit every single day.”
Money Maze Podcast: “Life at the Investment Helm of a £700 Billion Asset Management Giant - With Johanna Kyrklund, CIO of Schroders”
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