LGPS Central, a UK Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) pool, has appointed Jayne Atkinson as its new chief investment officer, effective from Spring 2025.
Atkinson brings over two decades of expertise across pensions and investment disciplines. Her early career focused on pension and investment advisory roles, serving as a lead consultant to FTSE 100 companies and trustee boards. Transitioning into CIO roles, she gained leadership experience with cross-border pooled funds, including positions at Unilever and Nestlé. Currently, she heads the investment arm of the Unilever UK Pension Fund, overseeing direct investments, advisory services, and international collaboration projects, while ensuring robust governance.
Jayne also brings non-executive experience, including roles as an independent investment committee member for the Medical Research Council Pension Fund, chair of the European Pension Fund Investment Forum, and advisor to the Cern Pension Fund and EDHEC Risk Institute.
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As CIO, Jayne will oversee the investment strategy for several pension funds, including those in the UK, US, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, South Africa, and Brazil, collectively managing around £20bn in assets. She has chaired investment committees for US and Canadian defined benefit schemes.
Richard Law-Deeks, CEO at LGPS Central, said: “We are delighted to welcome Jayne Atkinson as our new chief investment Officer. Her impressive skillset will be pivotal in guiding the next chapter of our investment strategy and delivering strong returns for our Partner Funds. Jayne joins us at a crucial time as we continue to refine our offering, and with deep-rooted experience from a fund perspective, she was the ideal choice to support LGPS Central in building upon the progress of the past six years.”
Atkinson will oversee LGPS Central’s investment strategies, which manage over £32.5 billion on behalf of its partner funds. She will work closely with the executive team to deliver innovative and sustainable investment solutions, ensuring continued success in both public and private markets.
Until her arrival in April, Mark Davies and Nadeem Hussain, interim co-CIOs, will continue to lead the public and private markets teams.
