Appointments: New infra head at Railpen; PASA strengthens board

Railpen has promoted Lewis Vanstone to head up its £1.2bn infrastructure portfolio. He has worked for the £34bn multi-employer pension scheme since 2019.

During his career at Railpen, Vanstone has helped expand the pension scheme’s investments in assets such as renewable energy, energy storage, waste collection, hospitals and other essential infrastructure projects.

Vanstone said: “The opportunities within the asset class are broad and reach beyond Railpen’s current asset mix, considering waste, zero-emission transport and digital infrastructure, as well as renewable energy and social infrastructure.

“My aims within this role are to build upon our well-established infrastructure capability, diversify our infrastructure holdings, further develop our co-investment approach, and ultimately deliver resilient infrastructure returns to secure our members’ future.”

Anna Rule, director of real assets and private markets, added: “This appointment reflects our belief in the importance of the asset class – not only in delivering secure and sustainable outcomes for our members, but with wider-reaching environmental, societal and economic benefits.”

The Pensions Administration Standards Association (PASA) has appointed four new non-executive directors to its board.

The new faces are: Amanda Asante, a trustee director at Independent Governance Group; Joanne Derbyshire, managing director at Local Pensions Partnership Administration; Daniel Taylor, client director at Trafalgar House Pensions Administration; and Ian McQuade, chief executive officer at Muse Advisory.

David Fairs, chair of PASA, said the quartet brought “a wealth of experience and passion for pensions administration, alongside distinct perspectives from across the public, private, and trustee sectors”.

He added: “These appointments reflect our ambition to strengthen PASA’s voice and broaden our impact at a time of great change in the industry. I’m confident they will play a critical role in helping us continue to raise standards and support the administration community through the challenges and opportunities ahead.”

Asante said: “Pensions administration is the engine room of our industry, and yet too often overlooked. As both a trustee and a pensions professional, I know the power of collaboration between trustees and administrators in delivering the best possible outcomes for members. I’m proud to join PASA at a time when our role has never been more important. I look forward to using my experience to champion better governance and help raise the visibility and value of administration across the sector.”

McQuade added: “As the landscape continues to evolve, we have an opportunity to drive greater engagement across the industry and ensure administration has a strong voice at every table. I look forward to working with the board to promote excellence, encourage wider participation, and support PASA’s vital mission.”

Altman gets business development role for Standard Life DB unit

Standard Life has appointed Claire Altman to a new role designed to reinforce its commitment to growth in the defined benefit (DB) and individual retirement markets.

Altman has been promoted to the newly created role of business development and origination director, with responsibility to lead Standard Life’s go-to-market strategy, focusing on client engagement, strategic partnerships and retirement propositions. 

The creation of this new role follows the decision earlier this year to integrate the retirement solutions and asset management teams within Phoenix Group, Standard Life’s parent company, into a single business area.

Mike Eakins, chief investment officer at Phoenix Group, said: “Claire’s appointment reflects our ambition to be the partner of choice for DB schemes. This new structure ensures the team is in a strong position to anticipate client needs and support schemes earlier in their de-risking journeys.”

Altman was previously managing director for individual retirement at Standard Life and joined the business in 2021 from Smart Pension, where she was chief corporate officer. She was previously a partner at Sackers before becoming a professional independent trustee with Capital Cranfield.

Naylor to strengthen Pinsent Masons’ London office

Law firm Pinsent Masons has appointed pensions partner Dan Naylor to join the firm’s finance and projects team in its London office.

Naylor was most recently in charge of Travers Smith’s risk transfer team until August 2024, and has more than 20 years’ experience advising pension schemes and related stakeholders.

Stephen Scholefield, head of pensions and long-term savings at Pinsent Masons, said Naylor would be “a key asset” and would “enhance our services proposition to advise on large and complex mandates for insurers”.

Three new trustees for Aviva Master Trust 

Aviva’s master trust has brought in three new trustees: Rita Butler-Jones, Fiona Matthews, and Rekha Owen.

Butler-Jones has been appointed as a trustee director, having recently retired from Legal & General’s defined contribution (DC) business. She has also previously worked in senior roles at Prudential, Columbia Threadneedle, and Mercer.

Matthews has been appointed as a trustee director and chair of the master trust’s member experience and communications committee. She has held several non-executive director and pension trustee roles at master trusts, life assurance companies, and a large global pension consultancy. Matthews is a founder of WTW’s LifeSight DC master trust in the UK.

Rekha Owen, meanwhile, has been appointed as the new representative for Law Debenture, the professional trustee company. She has more than 20 years’ experience in the pensions and investment industry, including senior roles in investment consulting, fiduciary management, and financial regulation.

Louise Williamson, head of the Aviva Master Trust, said the trio’s input would be “invaluable as we navigate the rapidly changing landscape and respond to the opportunities it presents for our members”.

Butler-Jones, Matthews and Owen join existing Aviva Master Trust board members Chris Noon, chair of the board, Andy Purvis, and Jonathan Parker. Butler-Jones and Matthews replace Alan Whalley and Anna Eagles.

GSAM appoints new MD for fiduciary business

Goldman Sachs Asset Management has hired Carolyn Schuster-Woldan from Redington as a managing director in its UK fiduciary management team, responsible for “medium and large” mandates, the company said in a statement.

Ed Francis, global co-head of outsource CIO at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, said: “Carolyn brings deep experience of working with UK pension funds together with very strong client engagement skills.

“Her appointment is a deliberate step in expanding our team’s capacity as we seek to sustain strong growth in our business. It follows the recent addition of Simon Bentley as head of UK LDI and CDI, a senior appointment that represents further investment in this key element of our outsourced CIO offering.”

Schuster-Woldan previously spent more than six years at consultancy group Redington, most recently as head of DB consulting. She has also worked for LCP and Mercer.