Independent Governance Group has announced the appointment of five new team members.

Joining as trustee director, Tim Giles has over 30 years of experience in the pensions and investment industry, including as former of head of investment at Aon, where he was responsible for the firm’s investment consulting and fiduciary management business in the UK and EMEA. Luke Wilcox joins as associate director from The Pension Regulator, where he has had 14 years of regulatory experience, including leading and establishing the first team responsible for regulating the funding of all defined benefit occupational pension schemes. Giles and Wilcox also join at the same time as three assistant associates – Gerson Portugues, Jack Pearce, and Kymani Watson-Samuels.

Royal London Asset Management has appointed Ed Venner as chief client officer, effective from 13 May.

Venner joins from Franklin Templeton, where he most recently held the roles of global distribution chief operating officer and chair of the board of Martin Currie. He also held various other roles at Legg Mason before its acquisition by Franklin Templeton, including head of US sales and interim head of global distribution. Alongside his appointment, Royal Asset Management confirmed the departure of chief distribution officer, Rob Willams, after an 11-year tenure.

Lord Currie has been appointed as chair of the new Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) board for an initial three-year term.

As part of his new role, Currie will oversee the choosing of two new independent non-executive directors and four new member non-executive directors for the board, aimed to be complete by 24 July. He is a cross bench member of the House of Lords, chair of the Advertising Standards Authority, and council member of the European Policy Forum. Currie brings over two decades of non-executive and chair experience with a range of organisations including Ofcom, Competition and Markets Authority, the University of Essex, the Alacrity Foundation, Royal Mail Group plc, and Dubai Financial Services Authority. He also served as professor and dean at Cass Business School.

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