The latest hires, promotions and appointments for the week ending 20 February 2026.
Fiduciary management provider Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management has hired Michelle Darracott from Bestrustees as its new UK chief executive officer.
Subject to regulatory approval, Darracott will take up her role from 1 April, the company said, and will be responsible for growing Van Lanschot Kempen’s fiduciary management offering. She takes over from Johan Cras, who held the role on an interim basis and will resume his previous position as a senior adviser to investment management clients.
Darracott was previously a professional trustee at Bestrustees and a non-executive director at TPT Retirement Solutions. She has also worked at master trust Smart Pension as chief strategy officer, and at Legal & General Investment Management, where she held several senior roles.
Erik van Houwelingen, a member of Van Lanschot Kempen’s management board, said: “The UK fiduciary management market is evolving rapidly, and demand for bespoke, high-quality solutions has never been greater. Michelle brings deep market knowledge, strong leadership experience and a clear alignment with our client-first culture.”
Darracott added: “At a time of significant change in the pensions landscape, trustees and sponsors need a tailored, partnership-led approach and a fiduciary manager that can provide clear insight, flexibility and solutions designed around their specific circumstances. I look forward to working with the team to support clients in achieving their long-term objectives.”
London CIV appoints ex-Tesco investment operations chief
London CIV, the asset pool for the capital’s Local Government Pension Schemes, has appointed Danny Firth as its new chief operating officer. He previously held executive roles at Tesco Pension Investment, including CEO and COO. Read the full story from our sister title LAPF Investments.
Njamma moves to BlackRock from GSAM
Elsewhere, investment giant BlackRock has hired Cyprian Njamma from Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM) as head of investment strategy for UK defined benefit (DB) pensions within its fiduciary management team.
At GSAM, Njamma was a senior member of the UK outsourced chief investment officer (OCIO) team, which recently secured a mandate to run Shell’s UK pension scheme as part of a global investment outsourcing deal with the oil and gas company.
BlackRock said Njamma would lead on the development of investment strategy across the asset manager’s OCIO business, “overseeing a specialist team spanning portfolio construction, asset allocation and tailored investment advice”.
New chair and vice chair at DCIF
The DC Investment Forum (DCIF) has named Nordea Asset Management’s Lindsay Nickerson as its new chair. Anil Shenoy of IFM Investors is the organisation’s new vice chair.
Nickerson joined Nordea in 2024, having previously worked as a DC consultant at Aon for 10 years. She was previously the DCIF’s vice chair, supporting Dave Whitehair, who has stepped down as chair but remains on the board until the end of this year.
“DC outcomes depend on how different elements come together in practice, including how assets are invested,” Nickerson said. “By bringing together investment expertise from across the industry, the DCIF can cut through the noise and focus on delivering long-term value for members who rely on DC the most.”
Shanoy, meanwhile, joined IFM Investors’ UK team last year from Janus Henderson, where he worked for five years as head of UK institutional. He has also worked at PwC and Standard Life.
Avon brings back Betts from Brunel
The £6.3bn Avon Pension Fund has appointed Matt Betts as group manager for funding, investment and risk. He joins from the Brunel Pension Partnership, the asset pool for south-west-based local authority pension funds that is currently being disbanded.
At Brunel, Betts was an equity portfolio manager and previously worked at Avon as an assistant investment manager before joining the pool in 2017.
In a statement, Avon said Betts’ experience would be “particularly valuable as Avon Pension Fund transitions to its new pool, Local Pensions Partnership Investments, by April 2026”.
In his new role, Betts will oversee Avon’s investment strategy, finance and funding functions, and will be a member of the senior management team. He succeeds Liz Woodyard, who retired in September after more than 20 years at Avon.
Betts said: “I’m very pleased to return to Avon Pension Fund at such an important moment for the organisation. The opportunity to help shape the fund’s long‑term investment strategy, particularly as it moves to a new pooling arrangement, was a major draw for me.
“The fund has a strong reputation for innovation and responsible investment, and I look forward to building on that foundation for the benefit of our members and employers.”
Isio promotes trio to partners
Consultancy group Isio has promoted Ajith Nair, John McAleer and Samantha Coombes to partner, which the company said reflected its “focus on developing senior talent from within”.
Nair is chief investment officer and head of research for the firm’s investment unit, which provides wealth management services and serves family offices, charities, and endowments.
McAleer is Isio’s market lead in Scotland for its actuarial and consulting division, while Coombes is head of operational solutions, also in the actuarial and consulting team.
Caron promoted in Hymans’ risk transfer team
Hymans Robertson has promoted Tom Caron to operations lead within its risk transfer team, which advises on bulk annuity transactions and other pension risk management projects.
He joined the consultancy in 2019 and has contributed to buy-in deals involving pension schemes attached to Next and Greggs, among others.
Caron said: “My role will be to continue to strengthen the team’s operational capabilities, to maintain the focus on members, and to ensure high-quality execution remains at the heart of every transaction. I’m committed to leading the team’s operations as we help trustees, sponsors and members navigate this expanding market.”
