The Wiltshire Pension Fund has selected LGPS Central as its preferred pooling partner following a comprehensive assessment process.
It comes after the fund, along with 20 other Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) funds, was directed to find a new pooling partner when the government indicated the Brunel Pension Partnership and ACCESS pools did not align with its long-term vision for the LGPS market.
Funds must finalise partner selection by September 2025. Wiltshire is the first to publicly announce its new pool.
“During our selection process, the openness demonstrated by the senior leadership team at LGPS Central gave us a high level of conviction that our voice would be heard,” said Jennifer Devine, head of the Wiltshire Pension Fund.
“We felt that the culture at LGPS Central was something that we wanted to be a part of, and we are excited about the next stage of the process.”
Richard Law-Deeks, chief executive at LGPS Central, welcomed the selection: “We’re pleased that, following Wiltshire Pension Fund’s rigorous due diligence, we have emerged as their preferred pool.”
Councillor George Simmonds, chair of the Wiltshire Pension Fund, added: “The committee has approached the monumental task of identifying a new investment pool with considerable diligence. In this time of change, we have been intentional in our pursuit of a partner that not only demonstrates a strong customer focus but also aligns culturally with the values of the Wiltshire Pension Fund.
“The committee is confident that a move to LGPS Central would fulfil these aspirations and support us in meeting the government’s pooling requirements.”
While Wiltshire has chosen LGPS Central as its preferred partner, the final decision to admit the fund to LGPS Central’s pool rests with the partner funds.
This article first appeared on LAPF Investments.
