Mastering the middlegame: Avoiding complacency in DB portfolios

Already registered? Login

Event details

Date

Time

Duration

Webinar Overview

Most DB schemes aren’t buying out tomorrow, nor are they planning on running on forever. During this complex ‘middlegame’, trustees must ensure benefits are protected whilst seeking to maximise value for members and sponsors. Less-visible investment decisions demand close attention: uncovering hidden risks, maximising value from illiquid assets, managing cashflows, and keeping portfolios adaptable as objectives evolve.

Join our latest webinar, in partnership with Professional Pensions, to explore how schemes of all sizes can address hidden risks before they undermine funding, and turn “run on for now” into a period of strategic progress.

Our panel of experts will explore:

Echoes of the 1980s: Lessons from past surplus eras and how to avoid complacency, protect funding gains and prevent value leaking away.
Hidden portfolio risks: Discussing The Pensions Regulator’s recent guidance on AI concentration risks, alongside sovereign debt sustainability, and how these exposures could undermine apparently strong funding positions.
Solving the illiquid asset puzzle: Practical case studies comparing secondary-market sales and managed run-off, using price monitoring and cashflow projections to assess whether, when and how to sell.
Engineering cashflows for optionality: Aligning income delivery, collateral resilience, and portfolio positioning with potential surplus distributions or buyout.
Execution without the governance headache: How proportionate delegation and whole-portfolio oversight help trustees turn strategy into timely action.

Presenters

Jonathan Stapleton

Editor

Professional Pensions

Jonathan is editor of Professional Pensions and has been reporting on UK occupational pensions since 2001. He has won a number of awards during his career, most recently the SPP Trade Journalist of the Year Award in 2019. He is also holder of the PMI's Retirement Provision Certificate.

Lara Edmonstone-West

Head of Solutions Distribution

L&G

Lara is responsible for L&G’s Solutions Distribution, leading the development and delivery of a sales strategy to drive L&G’s global solutions business for institutional clients. Lara joined L&G in 2025 from BlackRock where she held the title Head of UK DB Pensions Outsourcing Partnerships, growing BlackRock’s UK OCIO business in DB markets, and across CDC and endowment investors. Prior to BlackRock, Lara was Head of UK FM Business Development for DB Schemes at Van Lanschot Kempen, leading the growth of their UK fiduciary business through the UK CMA retender period. At River and Mercantile Solutions (now part of Schroders Solutions), Lara was Head of Business Development overseeing significant new business flows and working as lead advisor to several clients. Lara graduated from Imperial College London with a PhD in microbiology, a masters of research in infectious disease and a masters in chemistry. Lara is a CFA Charterholder and in 2021 obtained her CAIA designation.

Tim Dougall

Head of Delegated Solutions

L&G

Tim Dougall is Head of Delegated Solutions for the Asset Management business of L&G., responsible for providing holistic portfolio management services to a range of institutional investors. He works with clients across a broad spectrum of investment issues - governance, strategy, portfolio construction and implementation. Tim joined L&G in 2015 from Towers Watson (now WTW), where he was Head of Investment Strategy for the UK Delegated Investment Services business, and a member of the Portfolio Construction Group. He worked at WTW for 11 years delivering advice and solutions to a range of pension funds and other institutional investors. Tim is a fellow of the Institute of Actuaries and graduated from Oxford University in 2002 with a Master’s degree in Physics.

Victoria Myers

Head of Investment Advisory

L&G

Victoria Myers has responsibility for the investment advisory services that L&G delivers to clients as part of its fiduciary management and OCIO service. She is also directly responsible for the advice and discretionary management of a portfolio of clients. Victoria joined L&G – Asset Management in August 2017 from Willis Towers Watson, where she was a senior investment consultant. She has significant experience having worked with defined benefit pension schemes in the UK of all sizes since 2006.  Her advisory background spans the full range of investment advisory services from investment beliefs and objectives setting to implementation for clients ranging from sub-£10m to over £4bn. She also has experience of advising common investment funds and charities. Victoria is a CFA charterholder and holds a degree in Economics from the University of Bristol

Oliver Jargemann

MeltX

Register

Full Name

First Name

Last Name

Company Name

Company Postcode

Job Title

Job Function

Company Sector

Phone Number

You can submit your question to the panel in advance here

DATA PROTECTION STATEMENT

Your privacy policy – Please read carefully

We set out below how and the basis under which we, Incisive Media*, will communicate with you. In our Privacy Policy we explain how we may use your data.

For subscriptions, events, sponsored content and resources, we will use the lawful basis of 'legitimate interests' and we will use the contact details supplied to us to market to you regarding your trial or subscription, reader research, events and other related products. You will always be offered the option to change your contact preferences.

Where you request a whitepaper or content published by one of our third party partners or attend a sponsored event which Incisive Media hosts, we will identify the third party or sponsors to you at the time and then pass on your contact details to them. They will contact you directly and their use of your data will be governed by their own privacy policy. Events may attract additional sponsors after bookings have opened and after the date you have signed up to attend, but we will identify all sponsors to you by email before the event.

Please note that if you are a sole trader or other partnership, you will not receive information regarding Incisive Media’s other brands or from third parties until such time as we have your consent.

Privacy Policy

Yes, I understand and accept the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

* Required Fields

Event Assistant