UK – The head of pensions at oil giant BP, a union representative and a Watson Wyatt partner have been appointed to the board of the Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority.

The appointments were made by the Department of Work and Pensions.

BP’s head of pensions Bruce Garner, 54, was nominated by the Confederation of British Industry. Jeannie Drake, deputy general secretary of the communication workers union, was nominated by the Trades Union Congress.

Garner and Drake will both serve 18-month terms. The appointments took effect on October 1.

Watson Wyatt partner John Wigley, 57, is to join the board for a one-year term from April 1 2004.

OPRA chairman Harriet Maunsell said: "The wide-ranging experience and expertise of the new Board members will
be invaluable at a time of transition for OPRA."

The three replaced Joanne Segars, Hugh Brown and Mike Jones, who have completed two terms. Segars is head of pensions at the Association of British Insurers. Brown was group pensions manager at ICI. Jones is a partner at Hewitt Bacon & Woodrow.