Sue has an extensive background working in insurance and has been an operational manager, a restaurant proprietor and a senior administrator for a major UK bank. At Brunel, Sue looks after the CIO, David Vickers, and the wider investment team, covering logistics and managing meetings as well as providing secretariat services for a range of Brunel committees.
“spending time with my family and friends, and faraway holidays to visit my grandson in Australia. ”
Jaime leads the Sustainable Infrastructure and Private Equity strategies here at Brunel. He works to deliver excellent financial outcomes and positive impact on the world that Brunel clients live in. Before joining Brunel, Jaime was at Big Society Capital, where he launched the LSE listed Schroders BSC Social Impact Trust.
Jaime has had an impactful career before joining Brunel, co-founding companies such as Xlinks and Faro Energy, being involved in dynamic energy start-ups such as Rensource, Enerbuild and Clean Energy Associates as well as advising Impact Investors at Palladium (formerly Enclude) and Technoserve.
Jaime brings 15 years experience in private equity and strategic consulting at leading institutions such as Coller Capital, the EBRD and McKinsey & Co. He has a joint degree in Economics and Law from ICADE and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.
“reading, sailing and trekking”
David joined Brunel following 14 years with the Wiltshire Pension Fund, most latterly as Head of Pensions for the £2 billion Fund. In this role, David was the strategic lead responsible directly to the CFO and Pension Committee whilst overseeing the day to day operations of this multi-function service. As a qualified Chartered Management Accountant, his specialist knowledge areas are finance and investments, with significant experience also in HR, ICT, contact management, administration and governance.
“playing tennis, following the football or attending music or comedy events.”
Ali joined Brunel in 2020 as a Corporate Services Administrator. She is now an HR Advisor focusing on systems and processes and has a passion for wellbeing.
“spending time with my family, making memories, and occasionally building a new Lego set (if my daughter doesn't build it before I do)!”
Matt joined Brunel following over eight years with the Avon Pension Fund where he led on manager selection, investment performance and monitoring, and supporting investment strategy development with the committee and senior officers for the £4.2 billion Fund. Prior to this, Matt was Associate Director at an early stage venture capital boutique where he worked with entrepreneurs to prepare their businesses for growth.
“butchering the French language, trying to keep up with my young family, and generally having a go at things, from tennis to blues piano.”
Sally is an actuary with extensive executive, advisory and non-executive experience across pensions and investment, spanning the private and public sectors. She served as a non-executive director on the board of Impax Asset Management Group plc from 2015 and as Chair from 2020 until 2024. Sally’s impact as Chair at Impax was highlighted in 2023 when she won Non-Executive Director of the Year (FTSE AIM category) at the NED Awards in London. The award particularly recognised her leadership on sustainability, governance, diversity & inclusion, and stakeholder management.
Sally is Chair of the Development Bank of Wales, and has experience as a trustee and non-executive director includes Investment Committee Chair at Nest, and Chair at Local Pensions Partnership Investments, the latter from its inception in 2015 through to 2023. She serves on the boards of two insurers, Pension Insurance Corporation and RSA, and as Chair at BelleVie Care.
Sally strong interest in stakeholder relations is reflected across multiple roles, including her current position as Honorary Group Captain in 601 Squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, providing insights from business and finance to the senior leadership team at the Royal Air Force.
“going to concerts and exhibitions in London, taking holidays in Brunel counties, sketching, cycling and chocolate.”
Oliver joined Brunel in September 2021 from Rotork, where he worked as Risk Analyst. At Rotork, Oliver discovered a passion for Responsible Investment whilst working on a decarbonisation project. He joined the Private Markets team as Portfolio Analyst to help support across the team with reporting and research.
Oliver graduated from Leicester University in 2019 with a Degree in Economics. He is currently studying towards his CFA level 1, with the support of Brunel.
“traveling to experience new cultures and good food.”
Before joining Brunel as an Investment Officer, Stephanie worked as an Equity Research Analyst covering the European bank sector at Berenberg Investment Bank. Prior to this, Stephanie worked on the buy-side at MFS Investment Management, after having started her career in Investment Consulting at Mercer, where she developed a focus on Responsible Investment. Stephanie is a CFA Charterholder, holds the IMC, and graduated with a Masters with Distinction and a First Class degree from the University of Leeds.
“teaching yoga, volunteering for charities and exploring the great outdoors.”
Laura’s primary focus is on ensuring Brunel achieves its objectives as a fund manager and asset owner. Within that remit, she also wants to see companies improve their sustainability, embedding it in their culture and their broader strategy, so that long-term profitability goes hand-in-hand with being a force for good in the world.
She has over 25 years’ experience within asset management. The majority of this has been within institutional fund management, most notably eight years at Barclays Global Investors (now BlackRock), and subsequently at M&G, Schroders and Brewin Dolphin. Laura graduated from Exeter University with a BSc in Biology with Chemistry.
Laura’s ambition is to see Brunel set a pioneering example in responsible and sustainable investing, so that it can challenge the broader fund management industry to place sustainability at the heart of investing.
“horse riding and leadership coaching, holding a post graduate diploma from Henley Business School in Coaching and Behavioural Change.”
Vicky is Executive Assistant to Brunel’s Chair Denise Le Gal and CEO Laura Chappell, as well as providing Secretariat services to a range of Brunel Committees. Vicky has extensive experience having supported senior staff in both the public and private sectors. She has a PhD in Social Sciences from Cardiff University.
“walks with our dogs, especially along the beach, and travelling.”
Tom joined the Investments team from Business West where he was an International Trade Research Advisor, identifying promising export markets for UK businesses.
Graduating from the University of Manchester with an MEng (Hons) in Chemical Engineering with Energy and the Environment and from Bristol Business School with an MSc in Finance. He is a member of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investments.
“watching Bristol Rugby at Ashton Gate.”
Chris brings 25 years of Financial Services experience to Brunel. Most recently he worked for Northern Trust as an Implementation Manager within the Hedge Fund administration team. Prior to that, Chris spent over 16 years with Citigroup in a range of roles in the Global Custody division.
“hacking around a golf course, swimming or making a mess in the kitchen.”
Ria has worked a variety of HR roles over the last 20+ years, mostly across the NHS in Manchester, London and Cornwall. Following a move to Bristol, she enjoyed a variety of interim projects. Highlights include working as an M&A TUPE consultant for a national student accommodation business and supporting a new People Strategy roll-out at a small environmental research consultancy.
At Brunel, Ria has been involved in rolling out a new HR business partnering model and supporting the HR team to embed Brunel’s People Strategy.
“getting active outdoors - bike rides, bike packing, paddle boarding, running and hiking. For days I’m not in the hills, I’m an enthusiastic but awful gardener and thankfully, I recently found the Lego Botanicals range so all my recent creations are still going strong…unlike most of my actual plants!”
Tim has more than 20 years investment experience as a fund manager specialising in Asian equity markets. He joined Brunel in 2021 after 13 years at Invesco where he was responsible for £1.5bn of client portfolios. He started his career at the Bank of England in 1993 and was involved in assessing financial stability in South East Asia during the Asian Financial Crisis. In 1998, he joined F&C Emerging Markets in his first investment role.
He is a CFA Charterholder and holds a BSc and MSc in economics (City University and Birkbeck, University of London).
“running, helping out at my local rowing club and playing the piano shoddily.”
After a first career in pensions, Kate moved into finance in 2015, became a member of the AAT in 2016, and qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant in 2019. She joined Brunel in early 2025 having had a variety of jobs in finance, the most significant of which was five years as Group Financial Controller for a family-run SME in Wiltshire. Across both careers, she has worked in a range of industries including hospitality, media, manufacturing, distribution and financial services.
“hiking in the wilds of Wiltshire, yarn crafts, writing, and trying to create order out of chaos in our garden.”
Before joining Brunel, James worked in several Business Intelligence roles at Lloyds Banking Group, managing the operations and engineering development of its mortgage and pension data warehouses. James works with Stephen Taggart on the formulation of the EDM and the overall data strategy, and with the listed markets team on its reporting requirements.
“running, cycling, squash, gaming, playing guitar, and going to gigs.”
Salomé has worked on the investment managers’ side for around five years. In her previous roles in AXA IM she has supported front office functions, valuated funds and facilitated investments. She has two Masters degrees, one in Corporate Finance, and one in International Banking and Finance. She enjoys having a comprehensive understanding of the investment process and an extensive understanding of processes. At Brunel she is responsible for overseeing services’ providers, carrying out due diligence on managers, supporting clients and their queries, and operationally managing investments.
“getting to know Bristol, as I am brand new to the city, and finding all the best coffee and alternative places. I’m a proud brass brand trumpeter, and love trekking, cycling in the hills and taking part in eco-friendly activities.”
Mark is a Portfolio Analyst in our Private Markets team. Starting his career as an apprentice at St James’ Place Wealth Management in their Investment Operations team, with a primary focus on fund accounting, he then moved on to be a Fund Research Analyst at Nationwide, focusing on both fixed income and equity funds before joining Brunel in July 2023.
Achieving a distinction in his apprenticeship, Mark passed the CF1 & LP2 financial advice exams and more recently attained the Investment Management Certificate. He is now looking forward to starting the journey towards being a CFA charter holder.
“playing the saxophone, football and I am also an F1 fanatic!”
Before joining Brunel, I worked for many years as a Credit Controller. I have worked with several finance organisation including GE Capital and Allianz insurance. Wanting to expand my knowledge, I attended City of Bristol College and graduated in 2020 with Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) qualification.
“Aquafit, going to the movies with friends, spending time with my grandchildren and supporting my grandsons at rugby.”
Gemma joined Brunel from one of the Clients, the Avon Pension Fund, where she worked within the Investments department as an Assistant Management Accountant for Investment & Custody. During her 4½ years with Avon, Gemma liaised between fund managers and the Custodian to reconcile the monthly positions, managing movement of funds, and reporting quarterly performance. Prior to Avon, Gemma gained 15 years’ experience within finance in both the private and public sector, in roles ranging from a Purchase Ledger Clerk to Management Accounts.
“being a mummy to my young children and immersing myself in family time, especially on the North Devon coast.”
Richard has over 20 years of experience working in Investment Management and M&A Corporate Finance. He was appointed Head of Private Markets at Brunel in 2018, prior to which he worked for two internally-managed LGPS as a Fund Manager and Portfolio Manager.
A CFA® Charterholder since August 2014, Richard has an M.A. Economics & Management from the University of Oxford. He holds multiple sports instructor qualifications (Ski, Kitesurf, Snow-Kite) with a love for all things outdoors.
“relaxing with my family, keeping healthy and active.”
Katherine has 15 years’ experience within the fund management industry and joined Brunel after working for the Financial Conduct Authority authorising and supervising asset management firms. Prior to this she has worked for investment management firms including Coutts & Co, RBC Wealth and Henderson Global Investors (now Janus Henderson). Katherine is responsible for ensuring Brunel has an effective control environment and we are meeting our regulatory obligations. Katherine is a CFA Charterholder and holds the IMC Certificate.
“spending time with my family but also cycling and swimming when I get the chance. ”
I have many years’ experience as an HR professional in various industries and my role at Brunel is to support the team and the business as it develops further.
I work closely with the Executive Committee and Remuneration Committee in delivering the strategic people objectives and working on the great foundations that were already in place.
“making resin crafts and woodland walks with our puppy.”
Danielle joined Brunel in September 2022 from Bristol Zoological Society, where she held a role with a wide range of responsibilities supporting the directors and the projects team. Prior to that, she worked at Trigon Pensions as an Advisory Services Administrator, working across both the consultancy and investment teams.
Danielle graduated from the University of the West of England in 2015 with an honours degree in Law. In 2019, she achieved the Retirement Provision Certificate from the Pensions Management Institute. She completed the CFA UK Investment Management Certificate in 2024.
“spending time in nature, practicing my photography skills at zoos and wildlife parks, and endlessly renovating the house.”
With over 25 years’ experience in the investment industry, Melissa joined Brunel in March 2023 as Head of Operations, with responsibility for and oversight of investment operations, change management, and technology. Prior to that, she worked at Marathon Asset Management, defining and implementing their target operating model, as well as managing the investment operations, performance & reporting, and client operations teams. The first 20 years of her career were spent working for Russell Investments across a number of functions, including client service, business development, marketing, change management, and operations. During this time, she lived in Australia, Singapore, the US and the UK.
“participating in American Smooth Pro-Am dance competitions, tra,velling and socialising with friends.”
Miles Geldard was Head of Fixed Income and Balanced portfolios at Jardine Fleming/JP Morgan Asset Management for five years before spending two years as CIO and Head of the Global Multi-Asset Group at JPMorgan Asset Management. In 2006, he founded the Multi-Asset and Convertibles team at RWC Partners. He then spent nine years at Jupiter Asset Management, first as Head of Strategy, Multi-Asset and Fixed Income and, subsequently, as Senior Advisor. Aside of his significant institutional and multi-asset investing experience, his commitment to sustainability is clearly demonstrated in his three years as trustee of Save the Elephants and his trusteeship at the BioGuinea Foundation. He also sits on two Investment Committees.
“travelling, walking in the African bush and sailing with my family.”
Lily has worked in Recruitment and HR for the past 7 years across Financial services, Engineering and Tech. She focuses on attracting and onboarding new talent, along with monitoring and improving employee and candidate experience. she has joined Brunel as an HR & Recruitment officer.
“long walks and socialising with friends and family.”
Nicholas is a Portfolio Manager on the Private Markets team. He has over 10 years of industry experience. He previously held a senior position at RPMI Railpen, where he was responsible for managing private market portfolios. Nicholas holds a BA in Economics from the University of Leeds and is a CFA Charterholder.
“When I’m not working, I enjoy brewing beer, gardening and playing golf.”
Reanna completed her law degree at the University of the West of England in 2021. Having graduated, Reanna joined Brunel as a Legal Analyst for one year in 2021, whilst undertaking the Legal Practice Course. Reanna returned to Brunel as a Legal Analyst and is now a Trainee Solicitor.
“pursuing my passion for dance and attending events such as Salon Privé and Goodwood Festival of Speed.”
James has a wealth of experience in Business Systems. Most recently he worked in an implementations role for a specialist Bristol-based Cloud systems consultancy, advising clients across industries. Prior to this, he was at the Financial Conduct Authority where he was responsible for ensuring the success of its Customer Relationship Management, operational and regulatory systems.
“city life and being kept busy looking after my three young children, including twins.”
Julie (Jules) has over 20 years Executive Assistant experience working in public and private sector organisations, including an international company in the Netherlands. She recently moved from the NHS to Brunel and, when in the office, commutes from South Wales, although her roots are in Warwickshire. In her EA role at Brunel, Jules supports Joe Webster, COO and three Non-Executive Directors.
“juggling family ties as well as arranging regular spa breaks, days out and other activities with my longstanding friends. Swimming and movies are my downtime.”
Jane enables informed business decisions to be made through Financial analysis. She is responsible for overseeing Brunel’s Management Accounts, budget setting, business planning and treasury management.
Jane joined Brunel in 2021 as a Management Accountant with 10 years prior experience in the IT and Construction industries and in 2023 became our Commercial Finance Manager.
“long dog walks with my Lab, Sid. Playing netball and finding new places to enjoy good food”
Mark has over 10 years’ experience in Procurement and supply chain, having worked across a number of sectors: nuclear, utilities, higher education and hospitality. He has managed the full end-to-end procurement cycle and also provided contract management. Mark has real passion for procurement and not only demonstrating value for money but also engaging with the wider supplier chain to bring added value and development in each category area.
“dog walks with my Lab Scout, any excuse to get the coast and going to watch Bristol City. ”
Jo has worked in the financial services industry for the last 25 years, predominantly in change management/PMO roles for life and pension companies. In previous roles she has managed the project office across project portfolios and large business/IT transformation programmes working with clients such as Scottish Widows and Aviva.
“paddle boarding, watching the Bristol Bears rugby team & supporting my son’s club rugby, pub quizzes and generally organising stuff!”
Peter has over 10 years experience working in Investment Offices, in a variety of different roles. Peter joined Brunel from Lloyds Banking Group in June 2022 where he worked in an Investment Oversight role, overseeing LBG’s active & passive fund managers, Custodians and Depositaries. Prior to that, he worked at AXA as an Asset Delivery manger where he was responsible for corporate actions and fund administration, across the asset universe. Peter holds the CISI Diploma in Investment Operations and the CFA Certificate in ESG Investing.
“travelling, spending time with family and friends and watching sport.”
David began his investment career in 2008 after graduating with a BSc (Hons) from Queen Mary University, London. He has primarily worked within Asset Management, most recently as a Portfolio Analyst for Fidelity International. He has completed the Certificate in Investment Management, CIPM, and is a CFA Charterholder.
“skiing in France, watching rugby or music festivals such as Glastonbury.”
Before joining Brunel, Bethan worked in the banking sector for over 2 years. Progressing quickly, Bethan worked as a Subject Matter Expert in an unprecedented redress programme, managing projects and establishing new processes. She graduated from the University of Leeds in 2015 with an honours degree in Classical Civilisation.
In February 2020 Bethan relocated to Bristol and joined Brunel as a Client Relationship Analyst. She provides day to day administration and analyst support to the Client Relations team.
“exploring new places, strength training at the gym and cooking for friends and family.”
Kevin joined Brunel as General Counsel in May 2018, having spent nearly 30 years as a lawyer in private practice, predominantly focussed on M&A and investment management, including 13 years as a partner in international law firms. Latterly, he spent a great deal of time working for LGPS clients making investments in private markets funds, providing an early insight into the opportunities presented by LGPS pooling when it was proposed by the government in 2016. Since joining Brunel, Kevin has worked on transitioning over £30bn assets under Brunel’s management, as well as a broad range of operational and governance matters. He became Director of Risk in June 2020, assuming responsibility for leading the Risk & Compliance team at Brunel, and is also MLRO.
“countryside pursuits, spending time with my family and pottering in the greenhouse.”
Sarah started working as a support desk analyst and progressed through to a second line senior analyst before moving into IT service management and IT service desk management at a third line support level. She has also worked as an Infrastructure and cloud specialist dealing with data centres and Microsoft Azure configuration. Sarah previously worked for a solicitor’s firm and a private health provider, and is looking to progress her knowledge and qualifications in this area over the next few years.
“playing the guitar, recording music and learning Japanese!”
Prior to joining Brunel, Thomas worked as an investment analyst at Somerset Capital Management, where he analysed listed equities in emerging markets as well as integrating ESG considerations into the process. He joined Brunel to support the Responsible Investment team with ESG data integration and wider RI objectives.
Thomas graduated from King’s College London with an MSc in Political Economy of Emerging Markets and previously from Queen’s University Belfast with a BSc (Hons) Finance. He also holds a CFA Institute Certificate in ESG investing.
“watching movies, reading and playing football.”
Tom joined Brunel in January 2025 and was excited to kickstart his career in finance. Since joining, Tom has deeply appreciated the role Brunel plays as a leader in Responsible Investment. He has experience in delivering client satisfaction and business acumen, which he developed during his university studies. Tom is eager to further develop his skills in the dynamic environment offered at Brunel.
“being outdoors, whether hiking or playing sports. When I'm not out and about, I enjoy cooking and watching movies.”
During his time in college, Luke studied for an extended diploma in Business, achieving a Triple Distinction Star – the highest grade. Subsequently, he shifted his focus to entrepreneurship, graduating from Business – Team Entrepreneurship with First Class Honours. At university, he co-Founded Tribonix, a tech start-up specialising in the development of upper body exoskeletons to augment the manual workforce. Luke is the first to join the Brunel graduate scheme.
“playing and watching sports (especially football and golf), travelling and experiencing new and diverse cultures.”
As Shareholder NED and Remuneration Committee Chair, Liz brings her experience in insurance and as an angel investor to facilitate Brunel’s continued development across a range of key areas, in line with its client needs.
Educated as a Production Engineer, Liz spent 19 years at Toyota, the home of lean manufacturing, in roles all around the business, including production control, logistics, cost management, productivity and supply chain management.
Liz then transferred to Financial Services, spending 7 years at Wesleyan Assurance Society, a nationwide mutual life insurer, based in Birmingham, becoming Chief Operating Officer and main Board member, responsible for Financial Advice, Insurance, Practice Plan and Transformation/IT.
She was Non-Exec Director and Remuneration Committee Chair at Monmouthshire Building Society until September 2024.
In addition to her role at Brunel, Liz is Chair of IoT start-up Tended.
“walking to the top of a hill, enjoying live music with a pint, or in the garden, just pottering.”
Lucy is responsible for Corporate Taxes, Statutory Reporting and the Financial Control framework. She joined Brunel in 2017 as Trainee Accountant from Avon Pension Fund where she gained experience in investments as well as accounting. She graduated from the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) in 2017 after completing an apprenticeship in Finance at Bath and North East Somerset Council. Brunel has supported Lucy through the CIMA qualification, with her last exam pass in January 2023.
“exploring the Cotswolds, playing board games with family and friends, and watching live music.”
Jennifer is an experienced investment professional with over 20 years in alternative and private market investments and strategic asset allocation. She was most recently co-portfolio manager of a London-listed investment company, where she successfully repositioned the portfolio toward private markets and led a turnaround of its performance. Jennifer has held senior roles managing multi-billion-dollar portfolios and served on the Alternative Investment Management Association Council from 2018 to 2022. Jennifer is a senior member of the investment team focusing on various strategic projects.
“the arts with my daughter and supporting my son’s engineering projects.”
Chris graduated from Imperial College London in 2021 with an MSc in Climate Change, Management and Finance, having previously completed an MA in Economics from the University of Glasgow. During his time at Imperial he worked with the Transition Pathway Initiative where he focused on developing a Carbon Performance methodology for the Chemical Industry. Chris joined Brunel as Responsible Investment Officer to help support the Responsible Investment team with ESG data integration and reporting.
“staying up to date with the sport teams I support from rugby, cricket and football to ice hockey and basketball.”
Josie joined Brunel as a Legal Counsel in November 2023, having previously worked in private practice in international law firms across the UK and Singapore. Prior to joining Brunel, her practice was focussed on cross-border M&A, private equity-backed transactions and a range of other corporate matters. Josie obtained her law degree from the University of Oxford in 2016 and qualified as a solicitor in September 2019.
“travelling, good food and a cozy pub after a long hike.”
John joined Brunel in March 2024, bringing nearly 12 years of experience from The Wellcome Trust, where he served as an Investment Operations Manager. His responsibilities encompassed both private and public markets, including daily valuations, trade and cash settlement processing, and operational compliance. Additionally, he gained expertise in onboarding investment operations data systems. John holds a BA in Economics from the University of Cardiff.
“playing cricket, supporting Tottenham Hotspur, and spending quality time with my young family.”
Alex’s background is in writing, research and communications.
He joined Brunel after five years at St. James’s Place Wealth Management, where he worked as Investment Communications Consultant, writing on investing and markets for clients and partners, and developing and delivering new communications campaigns. Prior to St. James’s Place, Alex worked as Head of Communications for Somerville College, Oxford, delivering their new website.
Alex has also worked as a journalist in the UK and China, covering both general and financial news, including as a correspondent covering bond markets during the eurozone crisis. As well as articles and chapters, he has also published a book, which came out in 2014.
“running, books, church and following Liverpool FC.”
Patrick has a background in the financial sector, with extensive experience of regulation, risk management and control. He worked for many years as an advisor and consultant to some of the world’s largest banks, insurers and pensions providers as well as having hands on experience of running large professional advisory businesses. He holds a number of non-executive roles. As a non-executive director for Brunel, Patrick’s duties include chairing the Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee and responsibility for holding the executive directors to account in the interest of the company stakeholders, including Brunel’s LGPS Clients and employees.
“sailing my classic boat, collecting books and researching architectural history. ”
Oke obtained a Law degree in 2021 and developed a passion for finance while working with a capital market conglomerate in West Africa. She proceeded to pursue a master’s degree in financial technology, and graduated with a distinction in 2023. Oke has worked on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) projects with Enactus and contributed to social mobility initiatives with Babbasa. She joined Brunel in 2024 as a client relationship analyst and has now transitioned into the risk and compliance team, with continued focus on delivering positive outcomes for stakeholders.
“yoga, running, good food and movies.”
Tobani recently graduated in July achieving a first class in my BSc Economics degree from Swansea University.
He completed an internship at an asset manager, working within their ESG team. Previously Tobani worked for a pension fund within their private credit team assisting with investment research and analysis for their direct lending transactions.
“playing football, spending time with friends, and reading.”
Alex Owen is a senior portfolio analyst in the Brunel Private Markets team (having joined in 2022), working across Private Equity and Private Credit. He has led IDD efforts across a range of strategies across private equity and private credit asset classes and has responsibilities across manager selection, engagement and portfolio monitoring. Prior to joining Brunel, Alex spent three years in investment consultancy advising across strategic asset allocation, ALM modelling and overall governance matters for corporate DB and DC schemes. Alex holds the IMC certificate and has successfully completed all three CFA exams.
“working closely with the Cardiff Foodbank network in aid of local homeless and at-risk populations.”
Following the completion of her Marketing Communications degree, Lauren has worked in investment operations since 2012. She started her career at Hargreaves Lansdown where she supported the cash operations function within the client accounting team with a primary focus on outward cashflows. She then moved into the private markets sector where she worked as a senior analyst for 2 years at Pantheon Ventures specialising in transactions on the operations team. Here she was responsible for overseeing and approving the transaction bookings in a fund-of-funds environment. Lauren will focus on private market investment operations at Brunel, managing relationships with our operational stakeholders and overseeing the effective running of activities within this area.
“trying new restaurants, exploring new countries and socialising with friends.”
Before joining Brunel, Tasha had worked in dentistry for 18 years, gaining extensive administration knowledge and experience in her practice management role. Tasha now supports the CRIO Faith Ward at Brunel to ensure the efficient running of Faith’s day-to-day commitments.
“spending with my two sons and husband, organising day trips and holidays.”
Christian is a Portfolio Manager within the Private Markets Team. Christian has over eight years’ experience in the Investment Management industry, spanning advisory, client servicing, distribution, product development and investment support. Christian previously worked at the EAPF as an Investment Officer. Christian holds a Certificate in Financial Planning, the IMC, and is a CFA Level 3 Charterholder.
“travelling, playing football & tag rugby and cycling around hilly Bristol.”
Hannah has a built a career helping people know what they need to know, when they need to know it. Whether this has been creating and implementing communications strategies, supporting organisational change or helping customers make informed decisions about mortgage products.
Hannah has joined from St. James’s Place Wealth Management where she headed up the Partnership Communications team delivering regular strategic and operational updates across a range of channels and media and supporting the delivery of corporate events.
“walking the dog, relaxing with friends, reading, and planning adventures for myself, my husband and our two boys.”
Vaishnavi started her career in responsible investment following completion of her degree in Commerce (majoring in Finance and Accounting) at the Australian National University in 2010. She worked as a responsible investment analyst at an ESG research service provider called CAER (which is now part of ISS ESG) providing environmental, social and governance (ESG) company assessments, analysing sector-specific and thematic risks and supporting active ownership strategies for a range of institutions in Australia and New Zealand.
She spent the next six plus years at the PRI, Principles for Responsible Investment, an investor coalition supporting signatories incorporate ESG factors into their investment and ownership decisions. Here, Vaish took on a number of roles specialising in governance issues such as tax fairness, cyber security, responsible political engagement and ESG-linked executive remuneration, leading a large collaborative engagement on tax transparency and cyber governance with investors collectively representing USD 15trn in AUM. She was also involved in the development of GRI-207 tax standard as a technical committee member. Prior to joining Brunel Pension Partnership, she worked as the director of governance, leading and coordinating the governance team’s activities.
Vaishnavi holds a Graduate Certificate of Law and has recently completed the CFA Institute Certificate in ESG investing.
“spending time with my family, cooking and reading.”
I joined Brunel in September 2023 as a Portfolio Analyst in the Private Markets team, providing support across all private markets asset classes. Prior to joining Brunel, I was awarded a distinction in an MSc Financial Analysis and Fund Management at the University of Exeter. I have also passed CFA Level 1.
I hope to pass IMC and become a CFA charter holder in the years to come.
“ staying active through sports or going to the gym, reading, meeting friends and travelling.”
Owain joined Brunel in August 2022 as Client Relationship Analyst following his graduation in Economics and Finance from Swansea University. At university, he was specifically drawn towards asset management and discovered an interest in investment.
Owain previously worked in roles – both before and during university – ensuring the delivery of excellent customer service and aims to continue providing this through his role at Brunel.
“a round of golf, surfing, watching football, cooking, and city breaks.”
Saskia joined Brunel in April 2020 from Trigon Pensions where she worked as a Senior Analyst on the investment side of the advisory team. She joined the Private Markets team as a Portfolio Analyst to help support across the team with reporting and research, before being named Portfolio Manager.
Saskia holds an MPhys in Physics from Durham University and is a CFA Charterholder.
“city breaks, swimming either at the beach or pool, and visiting far-flung friends to play games and drink tea”
Shweta has over 15 years’ experience, having previously worked in head office functions at AXA, Prudential, and M&G. She has worked across financial and non-financial risk and strategy, implementing frameworks, policies and systems across Asia and the US. After a career break of 6 years Shweta joins us to further embed a sound risk culture.
Shweta thoroughly enjoys working with people, valuing collaboration, and connections. She never backs down from a challenge, relishing the breadth of responsibility that her role brings.
“going out with friends and family to the theatre, games club, gym and dog walks. ”
Daniel joined Brunel after five years as an Investment Analyst for AXA Framlington where he was responsible for portfolio construction, investment risk and alpha generation support for international equities and multi-asset strategies. Prior to this, Daniel worked in the international portfolio construction team for JPMorgan Private Bank. He began his career at JPMorgan in 2007 as a fixed income valuations specialist. Daniel holds an MSc in Financial Mathematics and a BSc in Mathematics, Statistics & Operational Research. He also holds the IMC and is a CFA® charterholder.
“preferably watching Bath Rugby at The Rec…. In reality, you will find me engaged in constant negotiation with my young daughter.”
Since joining Brunel in January 2018, Alice has held several roles within the company focusing on Brunel’s clients and Shareholders. As Stakeholder Officer, Alice coordinates Brunel’s engagement with multiple stakeholders, working closely with the CEO, the Chair of the Board, and the Shareholder Non-Executive Director.
As well as representing Brunel as a member of the Diversity Project Steering Committee, Alice is Chair of the Employee Voice Forum and has a focus on Brunel’s Corporate Social Responsibility.
Prior to Brunel, Alice graduated from Keele University in 2016 with a Politics BA (Hons). Joining the Foreign & Commonwealth Office after university, Alice developed her administrative and communication skills. During this time, she worked on secondment in the Foreign Minister’s Private Office.
“salsa dancing, going to the cinema, and volunteering for the local Scout Association.”
Jodie has worked in the Financial Services industry for almost 20 years, predominantly in business or project management roles. Jodie has spent the last 10 years in the front office of a global asset manager, most recently in the role of Research Project Manager. Jodie is most interested in investment process improvement, client communications and investment research, all of which she is hoping to focus on in her role as Head of Investment Business Management.
“spending time with my family, taking the dog on adventures and upcycling furniture to give it a new lease of life.”
Stephen joined Brunel in May 2022 from Hargreaves Lansdown, where he assisted in fund reporting and administration for the HL Multi Manager and Select Funds.
Stephen has over 11 years’ experience in the financial services industry and brings a wealth of knowledge with a background in UK and overseas pensions administration, private client service, investment operations and oversight. He is currently studying towards his CFA IMC Unit 2, with the support of Brunel.
“running ultra-marathons, playing guitar, and creating digital art.”
Faith is currently Chief Responsible Investment Officer for Brunel Pension Partnership and Chair of the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC). These roles enable her to advocate for better appreciation of systemic risk as well as design solutions that embed such risks, like climate change, into the operations of finance and investment, an industry she has served for over 25 years.
Faith’s other roles include member of the Ethics Investment Advisory Group for the Church of England National Investing Bodies; member of Investor Advisory Group for ISSB (formerly SASBIAG); Member of the UK Green Taxonomy Advisory Group; and Climate Ambassador for the National Federation of Women’s Institutes.
Faith is a founder and formerly its co-chair of the Transition Pathway Initiative and currently NED. She was also the chair of the Reporting and Assessment Advisory Committee for the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI).
“being involved in my church, being a Climate Ambassador for the NFWI and membership of CAMRA and their investment club.”
“time with my family (I have two daughters), cycling, playing games, and steering clear of DIY projects.”
Ms Van Wijk has more than 30 years’ management experience in the financial sector. From January 2018 until March 2020 she was Global Head of Responsible Business & Public Affairs at Aegon AM. Prior to that, she was CEO of TKP Investments BV for more than eleven years; for the first five years at TKP, she also served as a member of the board of TKP Pensioen BV. Before joining TKP (part of Aegon), she held numerous senior investment and management positions, including at Actiam, Philips pension fund and PGGM and amongst other a non-executive board position at the Dutch Railway pension fund. From 2014 to 2020 she has also served as a board member of the Dutch Fund and Asset Management Association, of which she was chair in the last two years. She played an important role in establishing the climate commitment of the entire Dutch financial sector to the Cabinet’s climate goals in 2019. She was chair of the Investment Leaders Group at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership until October 2019. She holds independent supervisory roles at various organizations in the fields of culture, pensions, public housing, convenience retail and legal protection.
“long walks in the countryside in all seasons and listening to live music with friends and family”
George joined Brunel in 2022 as a Compliance Analyst. He previously worked in compliance for an independent financial advice firm. He gained a First in his History BA from the University of Sussex, graduating in 2021.
“cooking food and perfecting my recipes. I also enjoy fiction writing and cinema.”
Richard is an Investment Officer and part of the Listed Markets team. Prior to joining Brunel, he worked as an Investment Analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown and also has experience investing in commercial property in the UK and Denmark. Richard holds a degree in Business and Accounting from the University of Exeter, the Investment Management Certificate and is a CFA Charterholder.
“exploring the great outdoors, rugby, football and skiing.”
Simon has over thirty years experience in third party fund research and fund of funds management. Prior to joining Brunel, Simon worked at abrdn for over fourteen years as Head of Fund Research, where he was responsible for over £30bn of assets under management
Simon also had portfolio management responsibilities and combined his research duties with managing the abrdn multi-manager range, and a number of portfolios for abrdn’s strategic partners.
Before joining abrdn, Simon worked at Cazenove for six years, where he was Head of Fund Research and a portfolio manager.
“playing tennis and golf, and running a taxi service at weekends for my three children.”
Oliver joined Brunel in February 2023 after gaining experience in the Impact Investment field in Jordan. Oliver read Business Entrepreneurship BSc at Southampton University with a year in industry in San Francisco. He then completed his postgraduate MA in Environmental Studies at Tel Aviv University.
Oliver is passionate in his views of an ecocentric economy and plans to implement them in his role at Brunel.
As a lifetime Bristolian he is forthcoming in the assets that an independent mindset can provide.
“nonsensically surfing in the freezing Atlantic ocean and visiting international friends.”
Safiye began her career working as a Business and Administration apprentice, before spending three years working full time as an Accounts Assistant. She graduated from AAT with a Diploma in Professional Accounting in 2018 and has since worked in a variety of different sectors, such as recruitment and tech. She joined Brunel as a Trainee Management Accountant and is studying for her CIMA qualification to become a fully qualified accountant.
“going to music festivals, socialising with friends, and staying active, whether through yoga, long walks or strength training at the gym.”