UK - Peter Scales, former chief executive of the London Pensions Fund Authority (LPFA), has joined the investment panel at EPIC Investment Advisers (EIA).

Scales, who retired as chief executive of the £3.5bn (€5bn) LPFA last September, will take up his new position as senior adviser with immediate effect, EIA's chief executive Chris Edge told IPE.

"The public sector will be Peter Scales domain," Edge said, adding that he expects that various public sector pension schemes will be keen to approach EPIC when finding out that Scales has joined EPIC's panel.

EIA was established to provide independent advice using investment experts, all of whom have held senior positions in the investment industry, to pension and charity trustees, investment committees, pension managers and sponsors.

The firm has recruited the likes of Adrian White, previously of Hermes Pensions Management and Peter Murray, the former chief executive of the Railways Pension Trustee Company and former chairman of the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF).

Although the firm already advises county council and London borough funds, Edge said that Scales' appointment shows the firm's firm commitment to the public sector.

He added that EPIC is in talks with various public sector funds, and that further announcements are pending.

Elsewhere, Premier Pensions Management announced Dai Smith, one of its founders, is to become its new chairman.

Smith has passed on his previous role of managing director to Paul Couchman, currently sales and marketing director.