The Investor Forum, a stewardship-focused not-for-profit organisation created by institutional investors in UK equities, has appointed seven directors to its board. The new board members include Valeria Piani, Phoenix Group’s Head of Stewardship, Kimberley Lewis, Head of Active Ownership at Schroders, and Matthew Brazier, Head of Investment Advisory at Invesco. IFM Investors’ Chief Strategy Officer Luba Nikulina and Chantal Waight, Managing Director at European savings and retirement services group Athora, have stepped down from the board having served for five and four years respectively. Waight headed the forum’s operating oversight committee, and will be replaced by Andrew Millington, Global Head of Equity Research and Investment Process at abrdn. Following these changes, directors from the forum’s member firms make up 65% of board members, meeting a commitment made at the 2024 AGM. “Our call for nominations from amongst the member base resulted in some excellent candidates being put forward who bring diverse professional backgrounds and experience,” said Michael McLintock, Chair of the Investor Forum. “Whilst this increases the size of the board back to the historic high levels, we believe it is important to have this level of involvement from members, both as a desirable objective in itself and as we look to develop new activities and maintain oversight of the forum.” As of July 2024, the forum had 51 full members, representing approximately 23% of the FTSE All Share market capitalisation.
