The latest hires, promotions and appointments for the week ending 13 June 2025.
Matt Davies has joined the BT Pension Scheme’s trustee board, replacing Emily Clark. Clark recently left her role as chief finance officer at BT to take a position at National Gas and so has stepped down from the trustee board of the £35bn scheme.
Davies is the chief finance officer at Openreach, BT’s telecommunications network operator, a position he has held since 2017. He has previously worked at Unilever and ITV.
Jill Mackenzie, chair of the BT Pension Scheme, said: “Matt’s extensive financial leadership experience and deep understanding of the BT Group will be invaluable as we continue to deliver on our commitment to the scheme’s members.
“I would also like to thank Emily Clark for her dedicated service. Her insights and counsel have been greatly appreciated.”
Dalriada names sole trustee service leader
Dalriada Trustees has appointed Barbara Fewkes as head of sole trusteeship, a newly created position. Fewkes recently joined from Barnett Waddingham as a senior professional trustee, and will now oversee Dalriada’s growing sole trustee service.
In addition, the company has also named Gill Howard as operational lead for its pensions management team, also a newly created role. She was previously a senior pensions manager at Dalriada, and has also previously worked for De La Rue and Mercer.
In her new role, Dalriada said Howard would focus on “strengthening internal processes, supporting individual development, and shaping a clear and structured career pathway that promotes healthy and fulfilling careers for the team”.
Tom Lukic, chair of Dalriada Trustees, said: “Barbara’s deep industry expertise will be central to the continued development of our sole trusteeship proposition, while Gill’s operational experience will ensure our pensions management function continues to develop both our processes and our people to meet future demand.”
Purdy makes switch from LGIM to Capital Cranfield
Professional trustee firm Capital Cranfield has hired Lisa Purdy from Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM).
Purdy was most recently LGIM’s head of defined benefit solutions distribution where she worked on the business’s £300bn in assets across liability-driven investment strategies, buy and maintain credit, synthetic strategies, and delegated solutions. She also previously worked for Aon’s and Lloyds Banking Group’s pension businesses.
Harus Rai, managing director at Capital Cranfield, said: “Having worked closely with both trustees and sponsors, Lisa brings an innate appreciation of their respective objectives, considerations and challenges, which allied to her straightforward and collaborative approach and a ‘get it done’ mentality, gives me every confidence that she will be perfectly suited to professional trusteeship.”
FGC adds pension investment specialists
Private markets specialist Future Growth Capital (FGC) has hired Joanne Bugg as head of manager selection and Nick Oliver as a senior manager selection analyst.
Bugg was previously at the Wellcome Trust, where she was part of the investment team overseeing £39bn of public and private assets. She was also a trustee of the Wellcome Trust’s pension fund. Bugg chairs the investment advisory committee at Hertford College, Oxford University, and is a member of the City Guild of Investment Managers.
In her new role – newly created by FGC – the company said Bugg would oversee evaluation and due diligence processes as well as contributing to investment strategy implementation.
Meanwhile, Oliver joins from Schroders where he helped manage pension solutions. He transferred to the firm from Centrica when Schroders took over management of its £6bn pension portfolio.
FGC was established last year by Phoenix Group and Schroders to invest in private markets strategies. It aims to deploy between £10bn and £20bn over the next decade.
Bfinance appoints chief operating officer
Odi Lahav is the new chief operating officer at investment consultancy firm Bfinance. He joins from Apex Group where he was global head of digital products.
In his new role, Bfinance said Lahav would oversee investment research, digital solutions, and corporate functions, including technology, legal, compliance, and human resources.
