2nd February, 2026
Devil’s Advocates | Morning
Dafydd Edwards, Independent Board Chair, Powys Pension Fund
Jeff Houston, Independent Adviser
Fiona Miller, Deputy CEO, Border to Coast Pensions Partnership
12:00 – 13:10
Lunch and registration in the Arora Ballroom
13:10 – 13:20
Chair’s opening remarks
Chair
John Harrison
Adviser
Border to Coast Pensions Partnership
13:20 – 13:40
Presentation: Crossroads: navigating global policy divergence
In 2026, diverging global monetary and fiscal policies are set to reshape the fixed income environment, creating advantages for some market participants while presenting new challenges for others.
Presenter
Arif Husain
Head of Global Fixed Income and CIO
T. Rowe Price
13:40 – 14:20
Panel: Investment trends – the global bond market
Bond markets are very different today than they were five years ago. Interest rates across all maturities are higher and less stable. And the role of bonds as a diversifying asset has become less clear. This panel will consider the implications of these changes for bond investors generally and the LGPS in particular.
Moderator
John Harrison
Forum Chair
Panellists
Andrew Cormack
Fixed Income Portfolio Manager
Capital Group
Anthony Fletcher
Independent Adviser
Carl Shepherd
Fixed Income Portfolio Manager
LGPS Central
14:20 – 15:00
Roundtable discussion: Consolidating LGPS assets
Investing at scale in the LGPS by consolidating assets is expected to allow access to a wider range of investment opportunities for asset owners while delivering cost savings for the sector. What are the practical challenges of achieving this? To what extent should consolidation override the individual preferences of LGPS funds?
Facilitator
Trevor Castledine
Chief Client & Advisory Officer
LGPS Central
15:00 – 15:20
Presentation: Behavioural Biases: Understanding risks, recognising opportunities. Aligning decision making with long term goals.
Discover how behavioural biases—overconfidence, optimism, herd mentality—impair investor decisions and thereby performance outcomes. Drawing on real-world data and historical examples, this presentation reveals the risks of irrational investing and the importance of disciplined strategies. Learn how self-awareness and research can turn peril into opportunity in volatile markets.
Presenter
Hollie Briggs
Head of Global Product Management
Loomis, Sayles & Company
15:20 – 15:40
Coffee break
15:40 – 16:00
Interview: How technology investing can be used to address climate change
Our speaker will explore how emerging climate technologies and private markets are driving decarbonisation, highlighting promising UK and global investment opportunities across both earlystage innovation and scalable proven solutions and explain how investors can assess realworld climate impact beyond financial returns.
Interviewee
Greg Wasserman
Head of Private Climate Investing
Wellington Management
16:00 – 16:20
Fireside Chat: The reshaping of the UK infrastructure investment landscape
The UK is focused on infrastructure. Recent pension reforms and regulatory shifts could unlock billions in private market capital, with much of this targeting UK investments at a local as well as regional level. This has the potential to reshape infrastructure investment opportunities and represents a once-in-a-generation transformation of the UK investment market.
Join IFM Investors’ Head of External Relations for EMEA, Gregg McClymont, former Shadow Pensions Minister, as he explores evolving policy priorities that are shaping the market’s focus on UK infrastructure. He will reflect on the influence of these policies on the opportunity set and the consolidation across LGPS and Defined Contribution, and the perspectives of overseas investors.
Speaker
Gregg McClymont
Executive Director, Public Affairs, Policy & Strategy
IFM Investors
16:20 – 17:00
Panel: Private markets – researching viable investment opportunities
Institutional investor allocations to private markets have been trending upwards across the world over the last 25 years. The panel will consider the reasons for this, how the range of investment opportunities is changing and the implications for LGPS investors.
Moderator
John Harrison
Forum Chair
Panellists
Tony Dalwood
CEO
Gresham House
Nick Fisher
Director, Research, Private Markets
Aviva Investors
Mark Gayler
Head of Pensions & Investments
Devon County Council
Tom Pilcher
Director
Gallagher
17:00 – 17:20
Keynote: Unlocking your leadership potential to accelerate success
Chris will show how leaders and their teams can unlock at least 10% extra performance potential to keep their teams and organisations effective in times of dynamic change.
Speaker
Chris Roebuck
17:20 – 17:30
Devil’s advocate summaries
17:30 – 17:35
Chair’s closing remarks
Chair
John Harrison
Adviser
Border to Coast Pensions Partnership
17:35
Private key collection and check-in
19:00
Drinks and dinner in the Monarch
21:00
Woodland Trust Charity Talk
3rd February, 2026
Devil’s Advocates | Morning
Adrian Brown, Independent Adviser
Jennifer Devine, Head of Pension Fund, Wiltshire Pension Fund
Roger Kershaw, Director of Resources, London Borough of Merton
08:30 – 09:00
Registration in the Arora Ballroom Foyer
09:00 – 09:05
Chair’s opening remarks
Chair
John Harrison
Adviser
Border to Coast Pensions Partnership
09:05 – 09:25
Presentation: Global outlook and practical implications for UK investors
This session delivers a timely global market outlook designed specifically for UK investors. Drawing on deep expertise in fundamental equities and global and UK equity markets, the presenters will break down key global trends into practical, actionable insights for UK-focused portfolios. Attendees will gain perspective on major risks, emerging opportunities, and strategic considerations to help navigate today’s fast-moving market environment.
Presenters
Luke Chappell
Portfolio manager and Head of the UK and Global Equity teams
BlackRock
Helen Jewell
CIO for Fundamental Equities, EMEA
BlackRock
09:25 – 09:45
Presentation: Investing in renewables – the energy transition
In 2026, changes across the energy landscape will intensify the transition to renewables, as the challenges of meeting CP2030 and place-based opportunities reshape the outlook for LGPS investors. This session explores what it will take to deliver on those ambitions and will build the case for renewables.
Presenter
Tom Williams
Partner, Head of Energy & Infrastructure
Downing
09:45 – 10:25
Panel: Clean energy
The energy transition is one of the world’s biggest challenges for achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Many obstacles still need to be overcome and the global consensus about the need for action may be waning. However, the desire for clean energy remains a powerful driver of capital investment. The panel will highlight the scale of the challenge and the wide range of investment opportunities that may arise over the coming years.
Panellists
Egan Archer
Managing Director, Head of Energy Assets
Equitix
Anish Butani
Managing Director, Head of Infrastructure
bfinance
Barney Coles
Senior Managing Director, Co-Head of Clean Energy
Capital Dynamics
Nick Dixon
Head of Pensions
Avon Pension Fund
10:25 – 10:45
Presentation: Strategic real estate: Building the right real estate in the right location
As local investment becomes a growing priority for LGPS, the question arises: how can we create tailored real estate solutions – whether social housing, discounted market rent developments, social infrastructure, or other essential assets – in the communities that need them most? In this session our speaker explores, from an asset manager’s perspective, collaborative strategies for working with LGPS Pools to deliver both robust financial returns at scale and meaningful social impact.
Presenter
Lydia Merry
Real Estate Capital Formation
Schroders Capital
10:45 – 11:10
Coffee break
11:10 – 11:50
Panel: What does strategic investment advice look like post March 31st?
One of the most significant changes required under Fit for the Future is the requirement for asset pools to become the primary source of strategic investment advice for their partner funds. The panel will consider how this might work in practice, the potential pitfalls that need to be addressed and the governance structures required to ensure adequate accountability.
Moderator
John Harrison
Forum Chair
Panellists
Tony English
Head of LGPS Investment
Mercer
Colin Robertson
Independent Adviser
Richard Tomlinson
CIO
LPPI
Phil Triggs
Director
Westminster
11:50 – 12:10
Presentation: Investing in the UK: Unlocking value and accelerating growth through Board led active engagement
Mansion House investment ambitions go beyond the familiar paths of private equity, social housing, and infrastructure. In this session, we’ll spotlight an often-overlooked strategy in semi-liquid equities that can enhance returns and fuel UK economic growth. Discover how actively engaging with company management teams and taking board seats can catalyse strategic change, driving value creation in UK businesses.
Presenters
Adam McConkey
Head of Team & Co-Lead Portfolio Manager
Lombard Odier Asset Management
Henry Turcan
Investment Manager
Lombard Odier Asset Management
12:10 – 12:30
Presentation: Asset‑backed securities in practice
Asset‑backed securities are an increasingly broad toolkit, spanning high‑quality liquid ABS through to strategies with varying liquidity profiles, allowing LGPS investors to dial up diversification and return potential. We’ll also discuss how secured finance can support strong income generation and highlight UK energy transition opportunities emerging within energy‑efficient ABS.
Presenter
April LaRusse
Head of Investment Specialists
Insight Investment
12:30 – 12:50
Interview: Natural capital returns
As LGPS funds seek greater diversification, resilience and responsible investment outcomes, natural capital is moving up the agenda. In this interview, the speaker will discuss how natural capital can fit within LGPS strategic asset allocations, drawing on lessons from established global markets. The conversation will cover return expectations, key risks, climate change considerations and UK-specific sensitivities, helping LGPS investors assess the role these assets could play in long-term portfolios.
Interviewer
John Harrison
Forum Chair
Interviewee
Matthew Corbett
Partner, Agriculture
Fiera Comox
12:50 – 13:10
Presentation: The transition era: Real estate market shifts and the debt capital powering change
Real estate markets have shifted quickly in recent years as demand, costs, and how space is used has changed. These shifts have created challenges but also opened the door for investors to update, reposition, or repurpose properties. Transitional strategies help assets stay competitive and aligned with today’s market conditions. Flexible real estate debt now plays a central role in funding these efforts and enabling successful execution.
Presenter
Nick McNair
Portfolio Manager, Commercial Real Estate
PIMCO
13:10 – 13:15
Devil’s advocate summaries
13:15 – 14:10
Lunch in the Arora Ballroom
Devil’s Advocates | Afternoon
William Bourne, Independent Adviser
Aoifinn Devitt, Independent Adviser
Anthony Fletcher, Independent Adviser
14:10 – 14:30
Presentation: Real estate allocations: Resilient versus tactical
How can LGPS position real estate portfolios to combine resilient and tactical sectors? In this session our speaker will provide an overview of how focusing on real estate sectors less correlated to the economic cycle can anchor longterm income streams, provide greater portfolio stability and manage risk, while using tactical opportunities to take advantage of cyclical market shifts.
Presenter
Kevin Aitchison
Head of Equity Real Estate Europe
Savills Investment Management
14:30 – 14:50
Interview: Global equities
This session will explore how high‑conviction global equity portfolios navigate a market increasingly shaped by AI leadership, concentrated winners, and shifting geopolitical dynamics. It will highlight the key opportunities and emerging market leadership across sectors such as defence, healthcare, commodities, and energy, along with the risks investors may be underestimating.
Interviewee
Auritro Kundu
Portfolio Manager
AGF Investments
14:50 – 15:10
Presentation: AI and responsible investing
Generative AI and Natural Language Processing techniques have captured the public’s attention. In this session the speaker will explain how such techniques offer novel insights for fundamental and ESG analysis.
Presenter
Andy Moniz
Director of Responsible Investing
Acadian Asset Management
15:10 – 15:50
Roundtable discussion: Investment strategy implementation
In this session, delegates are invited to share their thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of the current arrangements on how funds secure strategic asset allocation advice. Delegates will also have the opportunity to discuss the new model under pooling whereby pools are expected to be the primary source of advice for LGPS funds. What are the pros and cons of this new arrangement, and what are the implementation challenges that need to be addressed?
Facilitator
John Jones
Independent Adviser
15:50 – 16:10
Coffee break
16:10 – 16:30
Presentation: Incorporating net zero in your fixed income portfolio
Following a decade of lower interest rates, the speaker explains how the current higher-yield environment has made fixed income more attractive for return generation. The session explores how investors can implement and customise fixed income portfolios aligned with their return, cash flow, and liquidity objectives, while also considering allocations to alternative fixed income instruments to complement traditional investment-grade credit. The speaker also discusses practical approaches to integrating net zero objectives within a fixed income portfolio.
Presenter
Rob Price
Senior Portfolio Manager, Fixed Income
BNP Paribas Asset Management
16:30 – 17:10
Panel: Investing in UK equities
Allocations to UK equities across the LGPS have been on a downward trend for many years, both at the total fund level and within listed equity weightings. Has this gone too far and will the Government’s ambitions to promote UK economic growth help reverse this long term decline? The panel will explore the factors that have driven the historic trend and consider the case for increased allocations in future.
Moderator
John Harrison
Forum Chair
Panellists
Will Ballard
Head of Equities
Border to Coast Pensions Partnership
Adrian Gosden
Investment Manager, UK Equity Income
Jupiter Asset Management
Mark Smith
Head of Pensions
Oxfordshire Pension Fund
Colin Standish
Assistant Director, Head of Overseas Public Equities
West Yorkshire Pension Fund
17:10 – 17:20
Devil’s advocate summaries
17:20 – 17:25
Chair’s Closing Remarks
Chair
John Harrison
Adviser
Border to Coast Pensions Partnership
17:25 – 19:00
Drinks reception
19:00
Dinner with after dinner speaker
Speaker
Andy Parsons
English comedian and writer who regularly appeared on tv panel show Mock the Week.
