SNPF, Sprenkels & Verschuren, Finland’s State Pension Fund (VER), PIMCO, Kames Capital, Ignis Asset Management

SNPF – The €1.3bn pension fund for notaries in the Netherlands has appointed Tobias Bastian as part-time director following the departure of Eric Uijen, who is to become chief executive at the €43bn metal scheme PME as of 1 June. Bastian, a partner at consultancy Sprenkels & Verschuren, is to work with Eric Greup, SNPF’s chairman. The scheme said it would seek a new director for its pensions bureau, which is meant to become the bureau of the new pension fund after the merger of SNPF and the €900m pension fund for notaries’ staff, SBMN.

Finland’s State Pension Fund (VER) – The board has announced that Timo Viherkenttä had been named managing director, taking over responsibilities from Maarit Säynevirta in June. Viherkenttä, a lawyer by training, spent eight years at local authority pension provider Keva as deputy chief executive, but left in 2010. Prior to this, he spent four years as budget director at the Ministry of Finance, and more recently returned to the ministry, where he was permanent under-secretary responsible for tax policy.

PIMCO – The US-based investment management firm has appointed Ben Bernanke, former chairman of the US Federal Reserve, as a senior adviser to the firm. PIMCO said Bernanke would contribute his economic expertise and insights to the company’s investment process and “periodically” engage with PIMCO clients.

Kames CapitalBrian Jack has been appointed head of treasury, with responsibility for overseeing the management of the cash and liquidity team. He joins from Ignis Asset Management, where he headed up its Cash & Securities Lending/Repo business. Before then, he worked as an analyst/portfolio manager at Scottish Widows Investment Partnership.