Wednesday 26th November
Devil’s Advocates | Afternoon
Joanne Donnelly, CEO, LPFA
Peter Wallach, Director of Pensions, Merseyside Pension Fund
Mike Weston, Chair of Trustees, Institute of Cancer Research Pension Scheme
11:15 – 12:00
Registration and coffee in the Sandringham Suite
12:00 – 12:05
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Chair
John Harrison
Adviser
Border to Coast Pensions Partnership
12:05 – 12:15
Keynote: A word from our editor
Pensions Expert Editor, Nick Reeve, looks back at some of the key themes dominating the pension headlines in 2025.
Speaker
Nick Reeve
Editor
Pensions Expert
12:15 – 14:00
Lunch and 2025 Budget
Join us for lunch as we sit down and watch Rachel Reeves’ second Budget.
14:00 – 14:40
Keynote: Delivering a modern regulatory system that drives better outcomes for savers
In this keynote session, the CEO of the Pensions Regulator outlines their evolving approach to regulating the UK pensions sector, moving towards a new prudential approach.
Speaker
Nausicaa Delfas
CEO
The Pensions Regulator
14:40 – 15:20
Panel: Navigating a minefield – delivering better pensions and investments in a world of policy and regulatory upheaval and change
Our opening panel will look at the economic, political and regulatory context and unpack what this all means for the pensions sector and savers. How will geopolitical events affect the investment environment that schemes operate in? Will the domestic political agenda help or hinder schemes in delivering better outcomes for members? And how will the ever-changing face of regulation impact on how scheme’s deliver for members. Join our panellists to discuss all this and more.
Moderator
John Harrison
Conference Chair
Panellists
Philip Brown
Director of Policy
NEST
Melanie Duffield
Chief Strategy and Stakeholder Officer
USS
Catherine McFadyen
Head of Pensions
Hymans Robertson
Guy Opperman
Former Pensions Minister
15:20 – 15:40
Coffee in the Sandringham Suite
15:40 – 16:00
Presentation: Navigating geopolitical volatility: a strategic approach to emerging markets debt
In an era of heightened geopolitical volatility, managing risk in emerging market debt requires more than proactive positioning, it demands a disciplined, research-driven framework. This presentation examines how active portfolio management can navigate uncertainty, maintain resilience, and uncover opportunities.
Presenter
Laura Reardon
Fixed Income Institutional Portfolio Manager
MFS Investment Management
16:00 – 16:20
Interview: Scaling innovation, securing futures: pension investment for a productive Britain
Scientific innovation is the UK’s next major growth engine. Our universities are global leaders, and their deeptech spinouts create more value than anywhere else in Europe. Yet UK-sourced funding falls off at the scale-up stage, pushing high-potential companies to grow elsewhere and turning the UK into a “sandbox economy”. Unlocking more UK institutional capital for scaling firms would help keep innovation here and deliver long-term gains for investors, the economy and society.
Interviewer
John Harrison
Conference Chair
Interviewee
Greg Smith
Chief Executive Officer
IP Group
16:20 – 17:00
Panel: Investing in private markets – panacea or red herring?
Private markets are the talk of the town, but it’s talk that splits opinion. Some see private markets as the silver bullet for delivering better risk-adjusted returns. Others are more sceptical and see investments riddled with risk, fees, and opacity. This panel will cut through the noise and ask the real questions. Who actually benefits from the private markets push: members, or managers? Are trustees and schemes equipped to oversee these assets in scale and detail? Does access to private markets represent real innovation or is it just marketing spin? And is the regulatory system ready for the shift away from public markets?
Moderator
John Harrison
Conference Chair
Panellists
Martin Bailey
Head of Strategic Engagement
City of London Corporation
Cameron Graham
Partner & Deputy Head of Secondaries, Private Equity Europe & North America
Patria
Richard Tomlinson
CIO
LPPI
17:00 – 17:40
Keynote: Budget reaction
T. Rowe Price Chief European Macro Strategist Tomasz Wieladek and University of Cambridge distinguished Professor Jagjit Chadha will discuss the economic consequences of the Chancellor’s budget announcement. They will discuss why the budget was necessary, what it means for the economic outlook and how the Bank of England will likely react to the announcement. They will conclude with what the budget likely means for financial markets and investors.
Moderator
Guy Opperman
Former Pensions Minister
Speakers
Jagjit Chadha
Professor of Economics
University of Cambridge and former Director NIESR
Tomasz Wieladek
Chief European Macro Strategist
T. Rowe Price
17:40 – 17:50
Devil’s Advocate Summaries
17:50 – 17:55
Closing Remarks
Chair
John Harrison
Conference Chair
19:00
Dinner in the Library
Thursday 27th November
Devil’s Advocates | Morning
Paul Guilliotti, Director of Financial Services, Wandsworth Pension Fund
Muntazir Hadadi, Head of Pensions, First Bus
Nemashe Sivayogan, Head of Treasury and Pensions, London Borough of Merton
08:15 – 09:00
Coffee and Registration in the Sandringham Suite
09:00 – 09:05
Opening Remarks
Chair
John Harrison
Conference Chair
09:05 – 09:45
Panel: Investing for a better Britain
Our power panel explores how UK pension capital can be deployed to build a stronger, fairer, more productive Britain, while still delivering robust risk-adjusted returns for members. Our panellists will examine where long-term capital can have the greatest real-economy impact, from infrastructure and housing to climate solutions, innovation and regional growth. We ask how investing for a better Britain can align fiduciary duty with national prosperity and improved financial futures for savers.
Moderator
John Harrison
Conference Chair
Panellists
Julia Diez
Head of UK Productive Assets
Railpen
Patrick Heath-Lay
CEO
The People’s Partnership
Wyndham North
Managing Director
British Growth Partnership
09:45 – 10:05
Presentation: Real estate debt – The rise of transitional lending
As banks pull back from real estate under Basel IV, alternative lenders are stepping in with transitional finance that offers borrowers flexible capital and investors attractive spreads. These loans benefit from de-risking over time as value-add business plans improve underlying property fundamentals. This session will explore opportunities in the mid-market, where competition from larger institutional lenders remains limited. What should pension funds consider and where could they fit into a scheme’s strategy?
Presenter
Tom Jones
Principal
Savills Investment Management
10:05 – 10:25
Presentation: Logistics: Building for the future
Up to 2022, the logistics sector saw exceptional returns, with almost any asset classified as a shed performing strongly. Following a period of rationalisation, new demand drivers are attracting occupiers to modern facilities, even as supply remains tight. This evolving dynamic presents a compelling opportunity for UK pension schemes seeking long-term, inflation-resilient assets with stable income potential.
Presenter
Chris Game
Fund Manager
Principal Asset Management
10:25 – 10:45
Presentation: Is sustainable led investing truly dead?
The last few months have been challenging for sustainable led investing amid political pushback, sifting capital flows and mixed performance. At the same time, we are witnessing system-level long term structural transformations in energy, industry, consumption, health and nature related sectors. In this session, we debate this area and provide examples from sustainable led equities portfolio that are benefiting from this rejuvenated phase for sustainable investing.
Presenters
Peter Burke-Smith
Portfolio Manager
Lombard Odier Investment Managers
Pascal Menges
CIO Sustainable Equities
Lombard Odier
10:45 – 11:05
Fire side chat: Alternative real estate investments – the opportunity in net lease
With over $23 trillion in property, plant, and equipment owned by IG-rated companies across the US, Canada, and Europe, the addressable market for net lease transactions is vast. Amid uncertainty on tariffs, inflation, and earnings, net lease real estate is well set to offer predictable income and strong risk-adjusted returns. In this session we discuss how net lease real estate shares characteristics of both a real estate equity and alternative fixed income strategy, protecting against downside without capping upside potential.
Interviewer
John Harrison
Conference Chair
Interviewee
Pal Sarai
Managing Director
Blue Owl
11:05 – 11:35
Coffee in the Sandringham Suite
11:35 – 11:55
Presentation: The case for clean energy as an energy security & energy independence play: Challenges vs. Opportunities
Clean energy is emerging as both a sustainability solution and a strategic imperative for energy security and independence. Our speaker will explore how renewables, advanced storage, and decentralised systems can reduce reliance on imported fuels, strengthen resilience against global market volatility, and create new economic opportunities. While challenges such as infrastructure gaps, policy hurdles, and financing remain, the session will highlight pathways to overcome them and position clean energy as a cornerstone of national and global stability.
Presenter
Jordi Francesch
Head of Global Asset Management, Clean Energy
Nuveen Infrastructure
11:55 – 12:35
Roundtable Discussion: The new Pensions Commission – key policy and regulatory asks now and in the future
Moderator
Nick Reeve
Editor
Pensions Expert
12:35 – 12:45
Devil’s Advocate Summaries
12:45 – 14:00
Lunch in Hillfield
Devil’s Advocates | Afternoon
Nick Dixon, Head of Pension Fund, Avon Pension Fund
Melanie Duffield, Chief Strategy and Stakeholder Officer, USS
Martin Kellaway, Chair of Trustees, CMI Pension Scheme
14:00 – 14:20
Keynote: Dashboards – the clock is ticking – we’re nearly there!
Dashboards will soon hit the street and this session will make sure that you are in the know. Hear the latest update from the pensions dashboard programme as the majority of providers have now connected and we are getting ever closer to dashboards becoming a core part of the UK pensions ecosystem.
Moderator
Nick Reeve
Editor
Pensions Expert
Speaker
Chris Curry
Principal
Pensions Dashboard Programme
14:20 – 15:10
Panel: How pension dashboards will change the face of member communication
With the launch of pensions dashboards getting ever closer this panel will look at what this means for how members will interact with their pensions. Are the public aware? Do they want dashboards? How will they use them? And what does this all mean for how pensions integrates with open banking and the rise of money management apps? This panel will look at pensions communications 2.0 in a world of open finance and pensions dashboards.
Moderator
Nick Reeve
Editor
Pensions Expert
Panellists
Chris Curry
Principal
Pensions Dashboard Programme
Abigail Leech
Chief Finance Officer
LPPA
Richard Smith
Independent Dashboard Consultant
15:10 – 15:20
Presentation: How UK pensions is leading the way for AI adoption at Ford
In August 2024 Ford launched PensionsChat, an industry first AI tool to help answer any UK employee pensions question. Hear how the launch of PensionsChat exceed expectations in both the quantity and quality of AI conversations plus hear what can be learnt for similar AI projects and how PensionsChat is now leading the way for the development of other AI tools for Ford globally.
Presenter
Oli Payne
Reward Director, International Pensions and Data Analytics
Ford
15:30 – 16:00
Coffee in the Sandringham Suite
16:00 – 16:40
Panel: The global geopolitical and macro-economic outlook and what it means for UK pensions
This session will set out the key global forces reshaping the investment landscape for UK pension schemes examining some of the mega trends such as shifting geopolitics, elections, trade tensions, inflation dynamics, interest rate paths, climate policy and technological disruption. Our panellists will explore how these trends affect growth, asset prices, currency risk and market volatility and what that means for strategic asset allocation and risk management. The discussion will provide a backdrop to how trustees and asset owners can position portfolios to remain resilient and capture opportunities in an uncertain, more fragmented world.
Moderator
John Harrison
Conference Chair
Panellists
Will Ballard
Head of Equities
Border to Coast Pensions Partnership
Charles Griffith
Head of Investment Strategy
Pension Protection Fund
Ian McKnight
Former CIO, Royal Mail Pension Scheme & NED
16:40 – 17:20
Keynote: Why pension funds should be investing more in the UK
Speaker
Will Hutton
Political Economist, Author, Think Tank and Academic Leader and Columnist
17:20 – 17:30
Devil’s Advocate Summaries
17:30 – 17:35
Closing Remarks
Chair
John Harrison
Adviser
Border to Coast Pensions Partnership
17:35 – 18:30
Drinks Reception and Canapés
19:00 – 21:00
Dinner in Parkview with After Dinner Speaker
Speaker
Rory Bremner
Rory Bremner is an impressionist, satirist, comedian, writer, and broadcaster, best known for sharp political comedy and mimicry of public figures on British television and radio.
