Gareth Mee on How Global Investors Use Partnerships to Scale, Part 2

As private markets continue to scale, institutional investors are increasingly looking beyond traditional acquisitions and organic growth. Strategic partnerships have emerged as a powerful way to access new markets, expand investment capabilities, and deploy capital at scale.

Welcome back to Scaling Capital: Commercial Real Estate Intelligence, presented by Accrete Advisors.

In Part Two, host Jennifer Robertson continues her conversation with Gareth Mee, Chief Executive Officer of Legal & General's Institutional Retirement Business, to explore how Legal & General is leveraging partnerships with firms like Manulife and Blackstone to accelerate growth across asset management, retirement solutions, and private markets.

Together, they discuss what makes a successful institutional partnership, how Legal & General approaches affordable housing and long-term investing, and the investment themes the firm believes will shape the future of global capital allocation.

In this episode, we cover:

• Legal & General's partnership with Manulife and plans to expand across asset management, insurance, and global markets

• The firm's strategic partnership with Blackstone and its implications for private credit, infrastructure, and real estate investing

• How L&G is approaching affordable housing in the UK and creating scalable investment models for long-term impact

• What makes a successful institutional partnership and why cultural alignment matters

• Long-term investment themes including data centers, power infrastructure, renewable energy, housing, senior living, and CPACE financing

• How a 190-year investment horizon influences L&G's capital allocation strategy

Guest Bio: Gareth Mee is the Chief Executive Officer of Legal & General's Institutional Retirement Business, which insures pension schemes and pensioners across the UK, U.S., and Canada. Prior to becoming CEO, Gareth served as CFO of Legal & General Capital, CIO of Private Markets and Asset Management, and CIO of Institutional Retirement, overseeing a portfolio of approximately £94 billion. Before joining Legal & General, Gareth spent nearly 20 years at EY, where he was a Partner leading global investment advisory, UK actuarial, and sustainable finance consulting practices. He holds a First-Class Honors degree in Mathematics from University College London and is a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.

Connect with Gareth on LinkedIn

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Episode Breakdown

00:00 Welcome Back and Partnership Strategy Overview

00:31 The Manulife Partnership

03:56 Inside L&G's Blackstone Partnership

07:27 Affordable Housing and Impact Investing

10:07 What Makes a Great Institutional Partner

12:08 Future Investment Themes

15:09 Long-Term Capital Allocation and Closing Thoughts