PwC, The Pensions Regulator, Royal County of Berkshire Pension Fund, HowESG, Columbia Threadneedle Investments, Carmignac Gestion, Morgan Lewis

PwCStephen Soper, the UK pension regulator’s head of defined benefit (DB) regulation, is to join consultancy PwC. Soper joined The Pensions Regulator (TPR) in 2009 as head of risk and funding, being named executive director of DB regulation in 2011. He will leave TPR at the end of July, moving to his new role in September. His departure comes only a few months after Lesley Titcomb took over as the regulator’s new chief executive, bringing to an end Soper’s 20-month spell as interim chief executive in the wake of Bill Galvin’s move to the Universities Superannuation Scheme.

Royal County of Berkshire Pension FundHoward Pearce has been named independent chairman of the local authority fund’s new pensions board. Pearce, who until early 2013 was head of pension fund management at the Environment Agency Pension Fund, is currently director of HowESG. In addition to his role at Berkshire, he has also recently been named independent chairman of the Avon Pension Fund and the Wiltshire Pension Fund’s pensions board.

Columbia Threadneedle InvestmentsBenjamin Boyer has been appointed sales director for financial institutions in the Romandie and Ticino regions of Switzerland. He joins from Carmignac Gestion, where he was recruited to develop the Swiss market and later take part in the launch of Carmignac Gestion Switzerland as a senior business development manager. He started his career at Sinopia Asset Management.

Morgan Lewis – Investment management lawyer Gawain Hughes has joined Morgan Lewis as a partner. He will advise institutional fund managers, administrators and investors on fund formation, investment and regulation, with a particular focus on private equity, real estate and infrastructure.