Tuesday 5th May
Devil’s Advocates | Tuesday Sessions
William Bourne, Independent Adviser
Dafydd Edwards, Board Member, Wales Pension Partnership
Roger Philips, Chair, Scheme Advisory Board
10:30 – 11:00
Registration
11:00 – 11:10
Welcome & Chair’s Opening Remarks
Chair
John Harrison
Adviser
Border to Coast Pensions Partnership & Staffordshire Pension Fund
11:10 – 11:40
Pensions Bill Update – Always a Pensions Angle Podcast Special
With the Pension Schemes Bill now an Act of Parliament, and the 31 March 2026 pooling deadline behind us, the LGPS landscape is shifting faster than ever. In this special live podcast recording, we will unpack where the Bill currently stands, what implementation will look like on the ground, and how pools, funds and administering authorities have responded to the reforms.
Hosts
Tom Parker
Lead Writer
LAPF Investments
Nick Reeve
Editor
Pensions Expert
Special Guests
Clair Alcock
Board Secretary
Local Government Pension Scheme Advisory Board
Roger Philips
Chair
Scheme Advisory Board
11:40 – 12:20
Question Time: What does strategic investment advice look like now?
From April 2026 LGPS funds are expected to seek primary strategic investment advice from their respective pools. Are the pools ready to provide this and, if not, when and how will they build their advisory capabilities? What role will investment consultants and independent investment advisers play in this new world?
Moderator
John Harrison
Symposium Chair
Panellists
Jonathan Crowther
Senior Investment Consultant
Mercer
Joe McDonnell
CIO
Border to Coast Pensions Partnership
Chris Rule
CEO
LPPI
Karen Shackleton
Independent Adviser
12:20 – 13:00
Panel: Listed equities – strategy and pooling perspectives
Despite increasing diversification into other asset classes, listed equities have remained the backbone of most LGPS investment strategies for decades. Given high valuations, increasing economic uncertainty and improved LGPS funding levels, what role should listed equities play in the coming years?
Moderator
John Harrison
Symposium Chair
Panellists
Mark Davies
Head of Public Markets
LGPS Central
Andrew Harvie
Senior Client Portfolio Manager, Global Equities
Columbia Threadneedle Investments
Neil Mason
Director of Pensions and Senior LGPS Officer
Surrey Pension Fund
Nick Sheridan
Portfolio Manager, Global Small Companies
Janus Henderson Investors
13:00 – 14:00
Lunch
14:00 – 14:40
Panel: Listed bonds – strategy and pooling perspectives
Yields on listed bonds were exceptionally low for close to 15 years following the Great Financial Crisis in 2008. Since 2022 yields have risen markedly making listed bonds potentially more attractive for long term investors. What role should they now play in LGPS strategies, where are the best opportunities and how should the pools exploit them?
Moderator
John Harrison
Symposium Chair
Panellists
Luca Giacalone
Senior ESG Credit Analyst
Royal London Asset Management
Chris Katanchian
Lead Portfolio Analyst
T. Rowe Price
Carl Shepherd
Fixed Income Portfolio Manager
LGPS Central
Nemashe Sivayogan
Head of Treasury and Pensions
London Borough of Merton
14:40 – 15:20
Panel: Private markets – strategy and pooling perspectives
LGPS funds have been increasing allocations to private markets for many years both for diversification and for return generation. Do recent challenges in private equity and private debt markets undermine the case for private markets, or will they winnow out the chaff and leave the sector stronger?
Moderator
John Harrison
Symposium Chair
Panellists
Ed Jolly
Managing Director, Private Credit
PGIM
Sam Joshi
Global Head of Alternative Investment Specialists
J.P. Morgan Asset Management
Richard Tomlinson
CIO
LPPI
Russell Wood
Head of Investments and Accounting
East Sussex Pension Fund
15:20 – 15:40
Break
15:40 – 16:20
Panel: Property – strategy and pooling perspectives
Property is one of the more complex classes for the pools to consolidate, given high transition costs, illiquidity and variable lot sizes. The market has also seen significant changes in investor demand away from the traditional sectors of retail, office and industrial towards a broader range of real estate opportunities. The panel will consider the changing face of institutional property investment and the best ways for pools to access the opportunities available.
Moderator
John Harrison
Symposium Chair
Panellists
Adrian Brown
Independent Adviser
Jonathon Ivory
Chief Investment Officer
Packaged Living
Hannah Marshall
Chief Investment Officer, UK Real Estate
CBRE Investment Management
Louise Warden
Head of Real Estate and Indirect Infrastructure
LPPI
16:20 – 17:10
Panel: Fit for the Future – a fund perspective
The latest evolution of pooling represents a significant change in the roles and responsibilities of both LGPS funds and their respective pools. This panel examines the implications from a fund perspective and seeks to identify the opportunities and challenges presented by the new arrangements.
Moderator
John Harrison
Symposium Chair
Panellists
Rachel Brothwood
Executive Director of Pensions
West Midlands Pension Fund
Joanne Donnelly
CEO
LPFA
Susan Greenwood
Head of Pensions
East Sussex Pension Fund
Paul Guilliotti
Director of Financial Services
Richmond and Wandsworth Councils
Euan Miller
Managing Director
West Yorkshire Pension Fund
17:10 – 17:20
Devil’s Advocate Summaries
17:20 – 17:25
Chair’s Closing Remarks
Chair
John Harrison
Symposium Chair
17:25
Private key collection and check-in becomes available
18:30
Driving Range
19:30
BBQ on the Master Suite Terrace
Wednesday 6th May
Devil’s Advocates | Morning Sessions
Adrian Brown, Independent Adviser
Jamie Hanley, Partner & Head of UK, Labaton Keller Sucharow
Yvonne Thompson, Head of Pensions and Treasury, London Borough of Hounslow
08:30 – 09:00
Registration, coffee and early networking
09:00 – 09:05
Chair’s Opening Remarks
Chair
John Harrison
Symposium Chair
09:05 – 09:55
Panel: Delivering against tightened deadlines and new responsibilities – the pool perspective
We closed the first day hearing the views of LGPS funds. We start the second day with the perspective of the pools. Fit for the Future involves implementing huge changes in a challenging timeline. How are the pools coping with delivering against such tight deadlines? What challenges remain and how quickly can these be overcome?
Moderator
John Harrison
Symposium Chair
Panellists
Louise Jack
COO/CFO
LPPI
Rob Lamb
CEO
Wales Pension Partnership
Richard Law-Deeks
CEO
LGPS Central
Fiona Miller
Deputy CEO
Border to Coast Pensions Partnership
09:55 – 10:35
Panel: Governance and fiduciary oversight
A key issue for Fit for the Future to succeed will be the ability of LGPS funds to hold pools to account. How should governance structures evolve, what skills are needed to provide fiduciary oversight and what practical steps do funds need to take to make this effective?
Moderator
John Harrison
Symposium Chair
Panellists
Clair Alcock
Board Secretary
Local Government Pension Scheme Advisory Board
Danielle Ashton
Head of Governance and Risk
Environment Agency Pension Fund
Jill Davys
Head of LGPS
Gallagher
Jeff Houston
Independent Adviser
10:35 – 11:00
Break
11:00 – 11:40
Panel: Private debt – strategy and pooling perspectives
Private debt has been in the news for the wrong reasons recently with several large firms limiting withdrawals in the face of significant redemptions by US retail investors. Should longer term institutional investors also now be wary or has the liquidity scare improved potential returns in future? Where are the best opportunities and how should pools access them?
Moderator
John Harrison
Symposium Chair
Panellists
Katherine Gray
Head of Pensions Investments and Treasury
London Borough of Sutton and Royal Borough of Kingston
Jason O’Brien
Head of Asset-Based Origination, EMEA
PIMCO
Kunal Shah
Co-Head of Origination
Brightwood Capital
Peter Wallach
Director of Pensions
Merseyside Pension Fund
11:40 – 12:20
Panel: Local investment projects in practice
Local investment is a key priority for Government and for many LGPS funds. However, developing a robust and integrated approach at a local level will be challenging for the pools. The panel will consider examples of successful local investment initiatives and draw out the key issues for pools and funds to address.
Moderator
John Harrison
Symposium Chair
Panellists
Jeff Dong
Head of Investment Strategy & Stewardship at WPP IM Co
Former Deputy Chief Finance Officer at Swansea Council
Imogen Ebbs
Head of UK Real Estate Equity
Aviva Investors
Ravi Parekh
Managing Director, Infrastructure Investments
GCM Grosvenor
Andrew Stone
Assistant Director – Investment Strategy
South Yorkshire Pensions Authority
12:20 – 13:00
Roundtable: Where are we with the transfer of assets?
The April deadline for all LGPS fund assets to be under the control of their respective pools has now passed. How far away are we from achieving this (and why) and what does ‘under the control’ actually mean?
Facilitator
Robert Branagh
Independent Adviser
13:00 – 13:10
Devil’s Advocate Summaries
13:10 – 14:10
Lunch
Devil’s Advocates | Afternoon Sessions
Miriam Adams, Assistant Director Pension Fund Investment & Administration, London Borough of Hackney
Jayne Atkinson, CIO, LGPS Central
Matt Hopson, Director of Finance and Corporate Resources, LPFA
14:10 – 14:50
Panel: Natural capital – strategy and pooling perspectives
There is growing awareness of the economic impact of nature and the potential returns that can be harvested from natural capital. The panel will discuss examples of natural capital investment in practice and consider the role natural capital should play in pool capabilities.
Moderator
John Harrison
Symposium Chair
Panellists
Philip Hebson
Independent Adviser
Olly Hughes
Managing Director, Natural Capital
Gresham House
Joana Marfoh
Head of Treasury & Pension Fund Management
Islington Pension Fund
14:50 – 15:30
Panel: Building local impact solutions across the private asset classes
Place based investing can have a significant positive social impact. The panel will outline different ways in which this can be achieved in private asset classes through real estate, lending and development finance. The panel will also consider the role of pools in enabling this to happen.
Moderator
John Harrison
Symposium Chair
Panellists
Justin Faiz
CEO & Co-Founder
Pluto Finance
Andrien Meyers
Chief Commercial Officer
London CIV
James Murray
Head of Social Infrastructure
AlphaReal
Shiventa Sivanesan
Director of Investment Management & Stewardship
West Midlands Pension Fund
15:30 – 15:55
Break
15:55 – 16:35
Panel: Clean energy – strategy and pooling perspectives
The transition to clean energy is fundamental to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Recent geo-political events have made the path to net zero less clear cut, but we continue to see advances in technology that will improve the economics of clean energy. The panel will review the current state of play and seek to identify potential investment opportunities that will arise in the coming years.
Moderator
John Harrison
Symposium Chair
Panellists
Paul Audu
Head of Pensions and Treasury
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Barney Coles
Senior Managing Director, Co-head of Clean Energy
Capital Dynamics
Nick Dixon
Head of Pension Fund
Avon Pension Fund
Rosalind Smith-Maxwell
Senior Director
Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners
16:35 – 17:15
Panel: Investment trends and the impact on strategy
It is increasingly difficult to predict major geo-political events or the reaction of financial markets to them. LGPS investment strategies need to be sufficiently diversified to navigate a range of potential outcomes while also tilting towards the longer term trends that drive superior returns.
Moderator
John Harrison
Symposium Chair
Panellists
Iain Campbell
Partner and Head of LGPS Investment
Hymans Robertson
Anthony Fletcher
Independent Adviser
Peter Gent
Head of Advisory
Border to Coast Pensions Partnership
Phil Triggs
Director
Westminster
17:15 – 17:25
Devil’s Advocate Summaries
17:25 – 17:30
Chair’s Closing Remarks
Chair
John Harrison
Adviser
Border to Coast Pensions Partnership & Staffordshire Pension Fund
17:30
Drinks Reception
19:00
Dinner and Guest Speaker
Speaker
Paul Sinha
British comedian, television personality, and qualified medical doctor
