The Board
Joanne Segars OBE
Chair and Non Executive Director, Chair of the Nominations 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.
Susan Martin
Non Executive Director, Chair of the 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.
John Burns
Executive Director, Interim 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.
Ian Armfield
Non Executive Director, Chair of Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee (ARCC)
More than 40 years’ experience specialising in investment, risk management and pensions
Spent most of working life as an audit and risk assurance partner at PWC
Non-exec director and Chair of Audit Committee at Keystone Investment Trust PLC since November 2012
Previous board director at NEST
Ciarán Barr
Non Executive Director, Workforce NED
30 years in financial services from economic strategy to pension funds and asset management
Last role at Railpen, improving member outcomes and reducing value leakage, with a focus on pooling
As a Board member at LGPS Central, looking to work with shareholders to deliver positive returns and good value for money
Belinda Moore
Non Executive Director
Belinda is an experienced non-executive director with a background in FMCG, consumer service and healthcare across FTSE 100 and multi-site plc backed businesses. With over 30 years’ experience in the UK and overseas, her expertise encompasses development and execution of successful digital engagement strategies to drive growth and profitability.
Adept at managing complex relationships and effectively engaging key internal and external stakeholders. Belinda has had notable success in improving the customer experience using data, technology, and customer insights to drive change programmes across marketing, commercial and operational teams. Her strategic, commercial, and digital acumen is complemented by a solid understanding of talent, diversity, financial oversight, and risk management within regulated environments.
Belinda also holds non-executive roles at Benenden Healthcare, Tipton & Coseley Building Society and University of Essex Campus Services.
Executive Committee
John Burns
Executive Director, Interim 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.
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.
Harj Kaur
Head of HR
Harj joined LGPS Central Limited just over five 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 and FCA regulatory frameworks. 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.
Struan Fairbairn
Chief Legal, Compliance, Risk Officer
Matthew Jones
Chief Stakeholder Officer
