The £11.1bn South Yorkshire Pensions Authority (SYPA) has named Gillian Taberner as its next director. She will succeed George Graham, who is retiring.
Taberner will take up her new role in December, SYPA said, and becomes the first woman to hold the director position. Graham, who has led the fund for seven years, announced his retirement earlier this year.
SYPA is one of the largest funds in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), and is one of 11 founding members of the Border to Coast Pensions Partnership.
Taberner has worked at SYPA since 2019 as an assistant director. The pension fund said this reflected “the value of developing and retaining internal talent”.
She has previously worked at Wealden District Council in East Sussex and at the Audit Commission.
Councillor Donna Sutton, chair of SYPA, said Taberner brought “a wealth of experience and a great understanding of both the organisation and the wider LGPS landscape”.
“She has already played a key role in shaping positive change within SYPA, including leading last year’s pay and benefits review, which delivered meaningful improvements for our employees,” Sutton continued. “Her strategic insight and commitment to public service make her ideally placed to lead the organisation through its next chapter.”
Taberner added: “I’m honoured and extremely pleased to be appointed director at SYPA, particularly at such a pivotal time for the LGPS, and I’m excited about the opportunities ahead, collaborating with our partners to develop our new, expanded Border to Coast pooling partnership.
“Working with our progressive and ambitious authority chair and members, as well as being mentored by George Graham over the past six years, has been an invaluable experience that has shaped my professional journey.
“I’m now looking forward to building on this and steering the organisation through our next phase, leading SYPA’s highly talented and committed team in delivering excellence for our scheme members.”
