James Howell

Still a lot of regulatory change coming down the pipeline. Lots of talk about 'simplification initiatives,' but will we really feel the benefits? Great article from our very own David Bashford provides a good overview. https://lnkd.in/e8kwYwKp

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Live artwork at a bank event? Yes to more of this Innovation Arts! And yes to more collaborative energising elbow to elbow brainstorming about how we can really unlock finance for climate, nature and communities. It was clear in the room, the role of philanthropy is critical – in particular for the maybe less visible but crucial steps to build the models, and build the collaboration that is needed to see capital deployed that delivers on a range of fronts from flood reduction, to better mental health through access to green spaces, to more biodiverse food production. The ideas and thoughtful perspectives, expertly cultivated by Sarah Payne and Rohit Das and the wider staff at UBS Optimus Foundation were a joy to be a part of for the launch of a UK focused climate, environment and communities portfolio with Rewilding Britain Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts RSPB Restor The Nature Conservancy Blue Marine Foundation Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew @Flood Action Coalition – together we can and we will. #climatefinance #naturefinance #socialfinance #philanthropy #impactinvestment

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Excited to share our refreshed podcast, Rewiring Retirement, where we unpack the policies, markets and structural shifts redefining the UK pensions market. Bringing expert insights on topics such as Defined Contribution reform, Collective Defined Contribution, private markets and retirement outcomes, we continue our UK pensions in transition series with a sharper focus on what really matters – implementation. Coming soon - our first guest, Jaime Magyera, Head of BlackRock’s US Wealth Advisory and Retirement Business, joins Muirinn O’Neill and I to explore why looking globally and learning from other systems is essential to improving saver engagement. From transparency and clearer communication to education and behavioural nudges, we discuss what the UK can adopt as it reshapes financial futures for the next generation. 🎙️ Subscribe and listen on Apple Podcasts: https://1blk.co/46VTIcS #RewiringRetirement #UKPensions #RetirementReform #Podcast For professional clients only.

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Back in 2018, Baillie Gifford promoted the actual investors proposition to re-define active investment so that its true benefits could be properly understood and taken advantage of. We still see it as a clear articulation of a conversation that we’ve been having with our clients for decades. This continues to hold true and this latest paper from Stuart Dunbar highlights the merits of active management, and what helps to differentiate us. If you’d like to know more read the paper below or visit our website. https://lnkd.in/ee6cp-NX #ActualInvestors #BaillieGifford

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Excellent and thought-provoking today from #IAConf2025. Just a few thoughts from a content-rich agenda: UK plc needs capital investment to thrive; is the democratisation of private assets the right way to plug the investment gap? What does that mean for fiduciary responsibilities and the value debate? How do we pivot the risk conversation to help customers make better decisions for their long-term futures? And what can we do to reverse the over-save/under-invest culture? How does the regulator facilitate that shift? And what big questions do we need to ask as an industry to move the dial? Plenty to mull over on a packed train home...

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I’m in here from page 66 talking about the importance of reducing sequencing risk when taking an income. Retirements are getting longer but market cycles are getting shorter.

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Is your fund selection process held back by fragmented data? Investment teams shouldn’t waste hours fixing spreadsheets, filling gaps or chasing updates. Inconsistent data delays research and undermines confidence. FE fundinfo’s Data Feeds provide a single, structured stream of validated fund data including performance, holdings, ESG metrics, regulatory templates – ready to integrate with your systems. No more manual fixes. Just clean, consistent data for sharper analysis and faster decisions. ➡️Learn more here: https://hubs.ly/Q03GRBVX0 #FundResearch #InvestmentData #PortfolioManagement #WealthManagement #FEfundinfo

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Insurance companies can deliver very high levels of security to pension scheme members, whilst also generating extra returns for a profit. Can trustees considering running-on their scheme achieve something similar by investing like an insurer? But what does investing like an insurer mean? Is it easier said than done? How can pension funds actually do it? Read more in the article below ⬇️.

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Another 'first'! The TM Brickwood UK Value Fund marked its first anniversary on the 24 February 2026. Co-managed by Ben Whitmore and Kevin Murphy it has reached £217million in assets under management within its first year.

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Greater volatility, greater opportunities? The increasingly uncertain world before us will lead to greater market volatility, says Howard Marks, co-founder and co-chair of one of SJP’s specialist external fund managers, Oaktree Capital. Yet through this uncertainty, Howard remains optimistic about the value bonds have for investors. And in the long term, the noise of today will fade. 👉️Read the full article on our website: https://lnkd.in/eSk5gzh4

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"The true legacy lies in the long-term impact we’ve made across sectors like affordable housing, renewable energy, student accommodation, and transport – where investments translate into homes, jobs, electricity, and dignity for South Africans." Jason Lightfoot

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I had the privilege to attend sessions at Cop in Brazil. One of the key takeaways for me is that DFIs have a key role to play in unlocking climate technologies and business models that will help make developing countries more resilient to the fall out of climate change. At numerous events at Cop we heard about the significant threat of climate change in particular to people living in developing countries, as well as the widening gap in finance for adaptation and resilience investments. But we also heard about successful projects and investments which harness new technologies, such as AI-driven analysis of geospatial data for forest conservation, or business models made bankable via the involvement of carbon markets. These offer significant opportunities for private companies and investors to get involved and drive towards closing the financing gap. DFIs play a key role in making these opportunities investable for private investors and BII is playing a leading role in this regard.

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Looking forward to the Pensions UK Investment Conference in Edinburgh next week, where I’ll be speaking on investment strategy considerations for Collective Defined Contribution (CDC) schemes. I’ll be exploring why CDC can support higher growth allocations for longer, including greater exposure to private markets, and (inevitably) geeking out on cross‑subsidy and intergenerational risk sharing...how does it really work, and how should schemes think about it? I’ll be joined by Edd Collins (WTW) and Bryony Halliday (Retirement CDC Policy Lead at DWP) - we'll also be discussing CDC in the context of Guided Retirement and why we believe Retirement CDC has the potential to become the most effective default approach for retirement. Attending the conference? Join us at our session: “Retirement CDC: The next big step for UK pensions.” - 11th March 11:35am #PensionsUKIC26 #Investments #Retirement #Pensions #RetirementCDC

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🔊 In the latest episode of The Big View podcast, Anna Rosenberg of Amundi explains how money managers deal with global uncertainty, and how the power rivalry between the U.S. and China is upending economic trade-offs https://reut.rs/453x8i3

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At the end of March, Russell Investments and Professional Pensions hosted a roundtable to discuss investing for surplus extraction and run-on. Russell Investments’ Aqib Merchant, FIA and Simon Partridge explored how defined benefit (DB) investment strategies should adapt to different endgame options. They also discussed the role of fiduciary and OCIO managers in implementing these strategies. It was a fascinating discussion with many key takeaways for the future of pension schemes. Read the writeup now: https://lnkd.in/eF-aburB

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Great to connect with fund representatives, advisors, and asset managers last week at the LAPF conference to attempt to answer some of the key questions facing the industry. A few high-level takeaways:  • The ongoing pooling evolution is unsurprisingly taking up a huge amount of bandwidth for the majority of participants.  • The Pools' development of their capabilities in private markets, the provision of strategic advice and formalising the approach to local investment will be critical  • Against a backdrop of an uncertain macroeconomic environment (as ever), the LGPS continues to deliver strong absolute funding performance. Relative performance, however, remains a challenge… Particularly enjoyed joining a panel on Real Estate Debt; helping articulate the risks and opportunities and discussing how the LGPS can best access the asset class. If anyone has any comments/questions please get in touch! #lgps

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