The Board
Joanne Segars OBE
Chair and Non Executive Director, Chair of the Nominations Committee and member of the Remuneration Committee
Joanne Segars OBE
Chair and Non Executive Director, Chair of the Nominations Committee and member of the Remuneration Committee
Joanne has over 30 years in the pensions and investment sector and is an experienced chair and non-executive director. She was appointed as the first Chair of LGPS Central Limited in May 2017. She became the chair of NOW: Pensions in 2019, having been appointed to the Board in 2017. Joanne is also a member of the Independent Governance Committee at Legal and General and is a member of the pension Fund Governing Board at CERN. She has been chair of the Joint Expert Panel on the USS and a pensions expert to the review of TfL’s pension arrangements. She was the Chief Executive of the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) until June 2017 having been its first Policy Director. She joined the organisation from the Association of British Insurers where she was Head of Pensions and Savings and held the pensions brief at the Trades Union Congress for 13 years, having started her career as a pensions researcher and journalist at Incomes Data Services. She was Chair of the Environment Agency Pension Fund (EAPF) from 2017-2019. Joanne was a Board member of Pensions Europe, the EU trade association for pensions, from 2010 – 2017 and its Chair from 2012 – 2015. She was a founding governor of the Pensions Policy Institute. Joanne has a degree in economics from John Moores University and an MA in Industrial Relations from the University of Warwick. She was awarded the OBE for services to pensions in the 2003 Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Eithne McManus
Non Executive Director, Chair of the Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee and member of the Nomination Committee
Eithne McManus
Non Executive Director, Chair of the Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee and member of the Nomination Committee
Eithne has worked in regulated financial services companies for over 30 years. She is an experienced non-executive director and currently also sits on the board of Countrywide Assured Ltd and Scor Ireland dac, and is a member of the With Profits Committee at Prudential Assurance Company. Eithne is currently chair of the Audit Committee and a member of the Risk Committee at Scor Ireland. She is a member of the Audit and Risk Committee and Investment Committee at Countrywide Assured. In her executive career she was a Director of Countrywide Assured and CEO of City of Westminster Assurance, having previously been its CFO. She is a qualified actuary.
Susan Martin
Non Executive Director, Member of the Nominations Committee, Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee and Remuneration Committee
Susan Martin
Non Executive Director, Member of the Nominations Committee, Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee and Remuneration Committee
Susan is on the Board of Town and Country Housing where she chairs its Customer Services Committee and an executive coach. She is the former CEO of fellow UK local authority pensions pool, Local Pensions Partnership Ltd. Prior to this, she held multiple senior roles at the London Pension Fund Authority, including more than two years as CEO. She has also held director roles at Greenstone Consulting, Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Cancer Research UK. She has experience in strategic partnership working, start-ups, acquisitions, mergers, business change and organisational development in several industries. Additionally, she was Pensions Lead and Board Member at the Public Services People Managers Association for three years and a member of the defined benefit council and LGPS committee at the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association.
Mike Weston
Executive Director, Chief Executive Officer
Mike has spent over 30 years managing or investing on behalf of both public and private sector pension schemes. Mike became CEO of LGPS Central Limited in March 2018. Since then assets under management have grown significantly, with several multi-billion pound fund launches and investment fund vehicles spanning both public and private markets asset classes. The “One Central” team of investment professionals has also grown and now numbers almost 70, across two offices in the Midlands. Before taking the lead at LGPS Central, Mike was the CEO of Pensions Infrastructure Platform (PiP). Mike joined PiP in 2014 and successfully built the investment and management team, achieved FCA authorisation, launched the PiP Multi-Strategy Infrastructure Limited Partnership and acquired 16 UK infrastructure assets across renewable energy, transport, health and social housing. Prior to PiP, Mike spent five years as Chief Investment Officer for the £2bn pension schemes of DMGT plc, the UK based, global media business. Mike was responsible for investment strategy, portfolio management, oversight of external investment managers and the management of the in-house investment team. Between 2001 and 2008 Mike was Deputy Managing Director of Hermes Focus Asset Management. As a Board member at HFAM, Mike led the UK investment team, managed relationships with the global pension scheme investor base and helped build a profitable third-party client business. Mike began his investment career at Hermes in 1990 as a UK Smaller Companies Equity Portfolio Manager before moving to Mercury Asset Management (Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, Blackrock) in 1997. Since 2010 Mike has served as an Independent Trustee of the Institute of the Cancer Research Pension Scheme and is the current Chair of the Trustee Board. Mike is a member of the 30% Club, a global campaign to increase gender diversity at board and senior management levels.
John Burns
Executive Director, Deputy Chief Executive Officer
John joined the Board of LGPS Central Limited in September 2017 where he is responsible for the oversight of the infrastructure functions and for the financial management of the Company. John was previously Group Chief Operating Officer with Baring Asset Management, a London based global asset manager. He has extensive international COO experience in developed, emerging and frontier markets across both institutional and wholesale sectors. Prior to this John had various COO, finance and risk management positions with Schroders, Fidelity and Visor Capital in London and in Asia. His previous experience as an Executive Management Committee member encompasses leadership, strategic business development and oversight of many aspects of asset management, together with practical knowledge of global regulatory and governance regimes.
Executive Committee
Mike Weston
Chief Executive Officer
Mike has spent over 30 years managing or investing on behalf of both public and private sector pension schemes. Mike became CEO of LGPS Central Limited in March 2018. Since then assets under management have grown to £22bn, with several multi-billion pound fund launches. 14 separate investment fund vehicles now span both public and private markets asset classes. The “One Central” team of investment professionals has also grown and now numbers almost 70, across two offices in the Midlands. Before taking the lead at LGPS Central, Mike was the CEO of Pensions Infrastructure Platform (PiP). Mike joined PiP in 2014 and successfully built the investment and management team, achieved FCA authorisation, launched the PiP Multi-Strategy Infrastructure Limited Partnership and acquired 16 UK infrastructure assets across renewable energy, transport, health and social housing. Prior to PiP, Mike spent five years as Chief Investment Officer for the £2bn pension schemes of DMGT plc, the UK based, global media business. Mike was responsible for investment strategy, portfolio management, oversight of external investment managers and the management of the in-house investment team. Between 2001 and 2008 Mike was Deputy Managing Director of Hermes Focus Asset Management. As a Board member at HFAM, Mike led the UK investment team, managed relationships with the global pension scheme investor base and helped build a profitable third-party client business. Mike began his investment career at Hermes in 1990 as a UK Smaller Companies Equity Portfolio Manager before moving to Mercury Asset Management (Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, Blackrock) in 1997. Since 2010 Mike has served as an Independent Trustee of the Institute of the Cancer Research Pension Scheme and is the current Chair of the Trustee Board. Mike is a member of the 30% Club which is a global campaign to increase gender diversity at board and senior management levels. LGPS Central Limited is also part of the 30% Mentoring Scheme which was developed to achieve greater gender balance at all levels within organisations.
John Burns
Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating & Financial Officer (COFO)
John joined the Board of LGPS Central Limited in September 2017 where he is responsible for the oversight of the infrastructure functions and for the financial management of the Company. John was previously Group Chief Operating Officer with Baring Asset Management, a London based global asset manager. He has extensive international COO experience in developed, emerging and frontier markets across both institutional and wholesale sectors. Prior to this John had various COO, finance and risk management positions with Schroders, Fidelity and Visor Capital in London and in Asia. His previous experience as an Executive Management Committee member encompasses leadership, strategic business development and oversight of many aspects of asset management, together with practical knowledge of global regulatory and governance regimes.
Gordon Ross
Chief Investment Officer
Gordon is the Chief Investment Officer (CIO) at LGPS Central Limited, and he has responsibility for the investments managed on behalf of our Partner Funds. He manages the Investment Team, is Chair of the Investment Committee, and is a member of the Executive Committee, reporting into the LGPS Central Board on investment matters. His objectives are to deliver superior risk adjusted returns, after costs, to Partner Funds delivered through pooled investments and to beat the cost savings targets set out at the inception of LGPS Central whilst fully integrating RI and engagement into the investment process.
Ian Brown
Head of Private Markets
Ian leads both the Company’s Private Equity and Infrastructure & Property teams to deliver the investment returns Partner Funds need to pay their scheme members over the long-term.
Harj Kaur
Head of HR
Harj joined LGPS Central Limited just over two years ago and comes with a strong HR commercial, consultancy and public sector background. Having worked with a number of local authorities – PwC, E&Y and Accenture – in senior HR roles, she brings with her sound experience across the strategic, operational and regulatory aspects of HR. Harj has been involved in advising and supporting at Board-level and managed transformational HR change programmes involving organisational development initiatives including leadership development and organisation design. Harj has taken responsibility for managing all HR initiatives across LGPS Central Limited, is a member of the Executive Committee and a trusted adviser to both the Company Remuneration and Nominations Committee. The HR team are responsible for delivering a wider range of HR areas from Company payroll, polices, succession and talent, training, performance and competence. Specific focus is also given to managing Company remuneration, staff wellbeing, engagement and maintaining a good work environment. The function provides strategic counsel on all people matters including oversight of the Company culture, values and behaviours.
Ross Maclean
Head of Compliance
Ross joined LGPS Central Limited in September 2021, becoming Head of Compliance in January 2022, taking responsibility for the Company’s compliance framework. Ross has over 30 years of Compliance experience, beginning at the Regulator and including Head of Compliance roles for Henderson, GLG Partners, Aviva Investors, and Invesco.
Senior Management Team
Tom Powell
Investment Director, Passive Equities
The Passive Equity team manage a range of index strategies with the aim of meeting the specific needs of Partner Funds and achieving benchmark returns in the most cost-effective way. We are constantly looking to enhance existing funds whilst developing new strategies that take advantage of the range of smart beta and factor-based strategies that are now available.
Mike Hardwick
Investment Director, Infrastructure and Property
Mike’s responsibilities include finding infrastructure investment opportunities, an asset class which our Partner Funds will have easier and more cost-effective access to due to the benefits of pooling. Mike is looking forward to building LGPS Central’s capability in the areas of Infrastructure and Property and provide Partner Funds with efficient access to quality, strong performing investments.
David Kane
Head of Finance
The Finance team provides professional financial advice and support to the Company, including management accounting, statutory and regulatory reporting, financial control, operational finance, treasury management, tax, procurement and supporting strategic business developments. The Finance team aims to be a high-quality team which provides accurate, timely and meaningful advice to the Company whilst ensuring compliance with all relevant legal, regulatory and professional requirements, and putting in place a strong financial control framework.
Colin Pratt
Investment Director, Manager of Managers
Working closely with his colleagues, Colin’s role is to ensure that the Manager selection and Manager oversight activities of LGPS Central Limited are carried out in an efficient and transparent manner. He also manages the targeted return and special opportunity assets.
Sarj Basra
Head of Programmes and Projects
Sarj’s role is to provide effective leadership and accountability for programme management across a range of critical investment management and corporate projects. His team is responsible for engaging with colleagues to ensure programme and project governance, delivery, assurance and reporting are managed effectively with senior stakeholders.
Neil Wain
Head of Investment Operations
Neil is responsible for the overall effectiveness of the Operations Team, ensuring that all trades are settled in a timely matter in order to meet our Client’s expectations
Mark Davies
Investment Director, Active Equities
The Active Equities team is responsible for actively managed funds on behalf of our Partner Funds. The team aims to produce strong, long-term investment returns in a cost-effective way. The team works closely with external active managers where appropriate to ensure the robust management of our Clients’ funds.
Patrick O’Hara
Director of Responsible Investment and Engagement
Patrick leads the Company’s Responsible Investment team, ensuring Responsible Investment is further enhanced, expanded and embedded as a core part of the Company’s investment and portfolio monitoring processes.
