People moves: LGPS Central adds to executive team with duo

LGPS Central – The UK investment pool has confirmed two senior leadership appointments, further strengthening its executive team as it continues to grow and evolve.

Nicola Dymond has been appointed chief operations and technology officer, joining LGPS Central from the Church Commissioners for England, where she served as chief operating officer. She brings more than two decades of experience across asset management operations, technology, strategy, and large-scale transformation, including previous senior roles at Railpen and SEI Investments.

In her new role, Dymond will oversee LGPS Central’s technology and operational functions, delivering a clear vision and strategy that supports innovation, enables strong investment outcomes and enhances digitally enabled services and insights for partner funds.

LGPS Central has also confirmed David Kane as its permanent chief finance officer, following his period as interim CFO. He has been with LGPS Central since its inception and has been instrumental in building the organisation’s finance function and maintaining strong financial governance throughout its growth.

A chartered public finance accountant, Kane brings more than 20 years of experience in public sector finance and pensions.

Independent Governance Group (IGG) – The UK-based provider of professional pensions trusteeship, governance and communication services has appointed Mark Woodhouse as trustee director.

With more than 20 years in the pensions industry, Woodhouse’s appointment comes as demand for experienced, independent trustees continues to grow, with pension schemes facing increasing regulatory scrutiny, more complex funding positions and greater focus on long-term strategy. His addition further strengthens IGG’s trustee director team and expands the firm’s footprint in Scotland, helping to develop its regional presence.

Woodhouse brings significant professional trustee and governance experience, having worked with pension funds at different stages of maturity throughout his career. A fellow of the Pensions Management Institute, he has built his background across professional trusteeship, consultancy and advisory roles, with a focus on practical, proportionate decision making. He will be based in IGG’s Edinburgh office and joins the business from Dalriada Trustees.

Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM) – Dag Huse, who was chief risk officer (CRO) at the manager of the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG) for just over 11 years, has stepped down from NBIM’s leader group and into the new role of principal advisor on matters related to geopolitical risk and policy, according to his LinkedIn profile.

A spokeswoman for NBIM told IPE that Huse had taken the initiative himself to leave the group and move into the new role.

NBIM is currently advertising for a new CRO, who, according to the Oslo-based central bank division, will continue to develop and build the risk team.

Pensionskasse SGR SSR – The CHF3.8bn pension fund for the employees of the Swiss broadcasting corporation SRG SSR has appointed Simone Stahl as its new CEO, effective mid-August.

Stahl succeeds Emmanuel Vauclair, who is leaving the pension fund at the end of April after more than nine years to become the director of Publica. Marlise Staub Kohler, deputy CEO, will lead the scheme on an interim basis.

Stahl served for the past 10 years at the Occupational Pension Supervision Commission (OAK BV).

IFM Investors – Jeff Chee has been appointed as global head of investment research, a newly created role.

Chee will lead IFM’s investment research strategy and capability, which will help the firm enhance global consistency across its research frameworks, help identify emerging client needs, and help incorporate these into investment and product strategy.

Chee brings more than 25 years of experience at WTW, where he worked across both investment and retirement practices. He most recently held the role of head of portfolio strategy and was responsible for the development of WTW’s portfolio construction framework. He has been a contributor and early adopter of the Total Portfolio Approach (TPA), including its application in multiple client contexts via multi-factor portfolio dashboards.  

This new role will form part of IFM’s product strategy and innovation capability and reports to Rekha Misra, head of product strategy and innovation.

Aon – the firm announced senior leadership appointments within its reinsurance solutions business in Greece and Cyprus. Effective 16 February, Dimitris Lymperis will become CEO for the region, while Evros Kyriakides will assume the role of managing director.

The new senior leadership team in Greece and Cyprus will focus on driving better decisions for Aon’s insurer clients in the region, helping them navigate volatility and emerging risks, and capture new profitable growth opportunities. By expanding Aon’s range of treaty and facultative reinsurance solutions, advancing innovation in products and analytics and working closely with colleagues across EMEA, the leadership team will continue to deliver optimum value and data-driven insights to regional clients, the firm stated.

Lymperis, leader of Aon’s treaty reinsurance team for Greece and Cyprus, will replace Manolis Siatounis in the role, who leaves the firm on the same date.

AllianzGI – Matthew Norman has been appointed as head of the firm’s infrastructure debt team, succeeding Claus Fintzen, who has decided to leave AllianzGI later this year to spend more time with his family and pursue other interests. The planned succession will be effective 24 March.

Norman will join AllianzGI from Credit Agricole CIB, where he has gained around 30 years of experience across infrastructure, energy and private markets encompassing structured financing, advisory and capital markets in an international environment. Since 2017, he has been the global head of infrastructure and was additionally appointed as global head of energy and infrastructure advisory within the bank’s corporate and investment banking division in 2022.

Norman will report to Marta Perez, CIO infrastructure, responsible for the infrastructure pillar of AllianzGI private markets

Fintzen will continue to be available until the end of June to ensure a smooth transition. During his 14 years at AllianzGI – as a founding member of its infrastructure debt team in 2012, and, since 2016, as head of the international team – he has played a pivotal role in the development of AllianzGI’s infrastructure capabilities and its strong reputation in the field.

Liontrust – Phil Milburn, head of rates in the firm’s multi-asset team, will be retiring at the end of July for health reasons. Meanwhile, the firm is bringing together its fixed income fund managers and analysts in Edinburgh into a single Liontrust fixed income team to create a scalable and global investment capability, effective from 1 April.

The fixed income team will combine the existing resources, research, and expertise of the nine managers and analysts to manage assets across sustainable, investment grade, high yield, and government bonds on a global basis across risk and duration horizons. The combined capability will benefit Liontrust’s existing fixed income clients, including the Sustainable Future (SF) managed range and the multi-asset funds and portfolios.

Also, within the sustainable investment team, all equity analysts will now report to Simon Clements, who will become co-fund manager of the SF European Growth, GF SF Pan European Growth, UK Ethical and SF UK Growth funds alongside Peter Michaelis (head of the sustainable investment team).

Martyn Jones will lead on thematic equity research on a global basis. There will be no other changes to the management of the SF equity and managed funds.

Lazard Asset Management – Gordon McKemie has joined the firm as managing director and head of leveraged loans and high yield. Based in New York, he will lead the development of a dedicated leveraged loans capability within Lazard’s fixed income platform and partner closely with the US high yield team to expand the firm’s credit offering for clients.

McKemie, who reports to Arnaud Brillois, Lazard’s global head of fixed income, brings nearly 20 years of experience across leveraged loans, high yield, and multi‑asset credit strategies. He joins from Blackstone Credit & Insurance, where he served as managing director and portfolio manager within the liquid credit strategies group.

Global Tailings Management Institute (GTMI) – The independent organisation dedicated to improving the safety of mine tailings facilities worldwide has announced two important milestones with the appointment of its CEO Ed Toms and the establishment of a technical committee.

Both announcements follow a thorough process of review and selection led by the GTMI’s board of directors, with support from its co-founders.

Toms, will spearhead the GTMI’s five-year strategy to scale the organisation and create sustainable change across mine tailings facilities globally. He brings more than 40 years of experience advancing complex organisations and delivering high-consequence infrastructure programmes that strengthen resilience and sustainability across the energy, water, and mining sectors. He is known for building high performance teams, and turning strategy into measurable outcomes by aligning governance, finance, risk, and operations to deliver safe, resilient, and community positive results.

The first GTMI technical committee will oversee all technical matters related to the audit and certification process, including accreditation and training programmes. The committee includes board members and other technical experts, and is supported by acting chief technical officer and board member, Janis Shandro. The seven-strong committee will oversee the development of conformance audit protocols, provide guidance on the interpretation of any aspect of the GISTM, periodically advise the board on whether the Standard remains fit for purpose, and act in an advisory capacity on any other technical issues.

Marsh – Lisa Quest has been appointed as UK CEO, in addition to her current role as head of UK and Ireland Oliver Wyman, effective 6 April. Quest will be based in London and report to Flavio Piccolomini, Marsh’s international CEO. Quest succeeds Chris Lay, who is retiring from the business.

In this additional role, Quest will work with the UK’s business CEOs to shape Marsh UK’s commercial strategy. She will focus on strengthening and expanding client relationships across Marsh’s four businesses as well as developing innovative, data-driven client solutions that support organisations operating in the UK’s diverse economy.

Quest joined Oliver Wyman in 2006. Following time as a private equity investor, she returned in 2013, going on to be appointed as co-head of the government and public institutions practice, Europe. In 2023, she was appointed to the additional role of head of UK and Ireland. Quest works extensively with HM Government on critical national priorities, including pay equity, defence financing, flood risk and resilience, and has supported the creation of new government bodies, including the National Wealth Fund.