Pension industry movers and shakers w/e 11 August

Shalin Bhagwan joins PPF as chief actuary 

Shalin Bhagwan has joined the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) from DWS (formerly Deutsche Asset Management) where he was head of pensions advisory and responsible for the development of investment solutions for UK pension funds; this role included the development of pass-through voting for pooled funds as well as net-zero investment solutions.

He has advised some of the UK’s largest pension funds, including RBS, Lloyds and Rolls Royce, on their investment strategies and also served as a board member of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries’, finance and investment board and as an advisory member for the task force to boost socio-economic diversity at senior level in both the financial and professional services sectors. 

Oliver Morley, PPF chief executive said: “We are delighted to welcome Shalin to our Executive team at a time of change and challenge for the DB sector. We have important priorities to deliver as part of our strategic plan and we look forward to his contribution to ensure we continue to deliver for those who rely on us."

Shalin Bhagwan said: “The PPF has demonstrated its deep expertise across both asset-liability management and delivering an excellent customer experience. It is exciting to join at a time when this expertise is increasingly being recognised for the broader role it can play. I am looking forward to working with my colleagues to build on the important role that the PPF has to play in enhancing security for all members of our diverse DB pension fund universe.” 

LCP appoints Amlan Roy and Mark Watts to its investment team.  

Mark Watts joins LCP as a partner and has served on a number of boards in both executive (CEO and CIO) and non-executive positions. He also chaired the FCA’s DB and DC pension plan risk and audit committee and the responsible investment working group.

Watts has advised a range of clients, including pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, central banks, insurance companies and family offices. Outside of finance, he is a qualified non-executive director and has advised tech companies on scaling their businesses. 

As an LCP Partner he will be supporting investment clients both in the UK and globally with a  focus on helping them navigate the energy transition and ensuring they are deploying their capital effectively.    

Dr Amlan Roy will be working primarily in the sovereign wealth space as a senior advisor. He is a global macro client facing researcher with almost four decades of experience across investment banking, asset management, academia, and policymaking.

His institutional client advisory and policy/regulatory advice experience includes work for central banks, pension regulators and markets regulators in over 50 countries.

Dr Roy also a recognised invited international keynote speaker and was previously senior managing director at State Street Global Advisors, and previously an MD at Credit Suisse.

He is a research associate at the London School of Economics, an honorary fellow of the Institute of Actuaries, a Singapore fintech festival ambassador and guest professor at the LBS Finance department; he has an MBA and PhD in financial economics and was a multiple award-winning lecturer in US and UK universities over nearly 12 years.  

Mark Watts, said:  “I am excited to be joining LCP at this critical time. Asset owners will need expert support if they are to navigate the complex world of the energy transition. LCP is uniquely placed to offer that support, drawing on both its well-regarded investment team and the deep expertise of our energy consultancy.”    

Amlan Roy, senior advisor (macro research), investments at LCP, added: “I am looking forward to bringing my knowledge and global client connectivity to help develop LCP’s offering in the sovereign wealth space and beyond. LCP isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo, and is looking to develop high impact and thought-provoking content.”