Innovation in DC

Anne Lester, Managing Director, is a portfolio manager and Head of Retirement Solutions for J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s Global Investment Management Solutions. She is a seasoned asset allocation specialist who has been responsible for the development of the firm’s defined contribution asset allocation strategies including the JPMorgan SmartRetirement target date funds and the firm’s Dynamic Withdrawal strategy. Prior to joining the Multi-Asset Solutions team in 2000, Ms Lester worked as a fixed income and currency trader and portfolio manager in the firm’s Milan office. Before beginning her career with J.P. Morgan, she was a Fulbright Scholar in 1990, spending more than a year in Tokyo working for a member of the Japanese Parliament. Previously, she worked for the U.S. Senate Government Affairs Committee. Ms Lester holds an MA in International Economics and Japan Studies from Johns Hopkins University’s School for Advanced International Studies, and an AB in Politics from Princeton University.

Peter Hobbs is Managing Director of Private Markets based in bfinance’s London office. He covers the Real Estate, Infrastructure, Private Equity and Private Debt Markets.  The bfinance Private Markets team provides a series of services including portfolio strategy and design, portfolio risk reviews and solutions, investment manager search and selection and due diligence.  Mr Hobbs has over 25 years of both principal investing and research experience. He joined bfinance from MSCI where he was Managing Director for Real Estate Research and Key Global Accounts, responsible for benchmarking and portfolio analysis, risk services and method development. Prior to this, he held various senior global research and business development roles with IPD, RREEF – the alternatives asset management division of Deutsche Bank, and Property & Portfolio Research. In 2015 Mr Hobbs was shortlisted for Outstanding Industry Contribution at the IPE Real Estate Global Awards 2015. He holds a PhD and is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MIRCS).  

Declan Canavan, Managing Director, is Client Portfolio Manager for Alternatives EMEA, J.P. Morgan Asset Management, having joined the team in 2014.  Previously he worked in J.P. Morgan’s Investment Bank in New York and London in senior roles in the hedge funds, financing and structured credit businesses. Prior to returning to J.P. Morgan Mr Canavan worked for Barclays Capital as a Managing Director in the Alternative Investment team in London.

Craig Brown is Institutional Distribution Director at Mobius Life with responsibility for driving further growth in institutional client relationships and assets under management. He has over 30 years’ industry experience as a consultant and relationship manager.  Previously he was Head of Global Consultant Relations at Legal and General Investment Management where he was responsible for developing LGIM's relationships with the leading global consultant firms.  Prior to LGIM Mr Brown was Head of Consultant Relationships at HSBC Investments and before that was a Client Director at Deutsche Asset Management, and a Senior Consultant at Mercer Investment Consulting

John Lawson is Head of Financial Research at Aviva UK & Ireland Life, and a management team member of Aviva’s platform business. His role includes speaking with the UK government on policy issues, both on behalf of Aviva and as a representative of the UK insurance industry. He also contributes to the development of market strategy in accumulation and retirement markets. Mr Lawson has wide experience of the pensions industry and is a frequent commentator on pension issues in the press. He was named Corporate Adviser Personality of the Year for 2014.

Sonia Kataora is an Associate within Barnett Waddingham’s Investment Consulting practice.  She specialises in providing advice on all aspects of pension scheme investment, including investment strategy reviews, investment manager selection and performance monitoring. Ms Kataora is heavily involved in conducting DC investment strategy research and development within Barnett Waddingham, aimed at improving standards of DC governance, encouraging member engagement and designing robust investment solutions seeking to maximise member outcomes at retirement. Her role often sees her give training sessions to new and experienced trustees and company representatives on investment strategy issues.  Ms Kataora’s current DC appointments involve providing investment support to a portfolio of master trust clients and a number of standalone schemes with assets of varying sizes.