Kate Jones, Chair of the Pension Protection Fund
Kate’s career spans senior investment leadership and Board roles in the financial services industry including JP Morgan, BlackRock, Schroders and M&G.She began her career as a portfolio manager at Prudential M&G before playing an instrumental role in the growth of BlackRock’s Solutions business where she built and led the portfolio management function with responsibility for over £300 billion of assets.
Kate has been a Non-Executive Director of the Pension Protection Fund since 2016, becoming Chair of the Board in 2021.
Kate is non-executive Chair of JP Morgan Funds Limited. Prior roles have included Trustee and Chair of the Investment Committee for Smart Pension Master Trust and Director of Blackfinch Spring VCT and also Chair of Trustees of Financial Education charity, Redstart Educate.
Working with senior executives in multiple sectors across the UK, Kate is also the co-founder of executive coaching business &become.
Chris Cheetham, Non-executive Director
During his executive career, Chris Cheetham spent 41 years working in the investment management industry, most recently as Global Chief Investment Officer for HSBC’s global asset management business. Previous roles include Global CIO for AXA Investment Managers, CEO at AXA Sun Life Asset Management and Director of Investment Strategy and Research at Prudential Portfolio Managers (now M&G).
He now holds a number of non-executive roles, including Trustee of the BT Pension Scheme and roles with The Peoples Pension and the Science Museum Foundation.
Emmy Labovitch, Non-executive Director
Emmy has held a variety of international roles in financial services and was a member of the executive committees of Fortis Investments and UBP Asset Management. Until 2018 Emmy was Senior Policy Advisor at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) with a focus on pension funds and investment governance.
Emmy is Chair of the board of Forester Life Limited and a member of the With-Profits Committee of the Royal London Mutual Insurance Society. Formerly, she was Chair of the inaugural Employer Committee of the Social Housing Pension Scheme, a trustee of Phoenix Futures, a UK charity, and a member of the Conduct Committee of the Financial Reporting Council.
David Atkinson, Non-executive Director
David has held a variety of senior international roles in finance and risk management during his 23-year career at Goldman Sachs, most recently as a Senior Managing Director of the Risk Division.A Chartered Accountant by training, David is also a Non-Executive Director at Mizuho International plc, Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, and Credit Suisse UK Limited.
In his spare time David is a lifeboat volunteer for the RNLI in Wales and an independent humanist funeral celebrant.
Liz Woolman, Non-executive Director
Liz Woolman is an accredited associate executive coach and non-executive director with over 25 years’ experience in the technology and financial services sectors.
Liz is currently a non-executive director at both the Local Pensions Partnership Administration Limited and Anglo Saxons Friendly Society. Liz is also a trustee of Friends of High Weald Churches, a charity.
During her executive career Liz managed an extensive technology portfolio for BT Group leading a successful digital transformation, launching innovative new products and services, increasing efficiency and implementing new systems and technology platforms.
Prior to joining the PPF Board she was also a non-executive director at the Places for People Group.
Nailesh Rambhai, Non-executive Director
Nailesh is an experienced international lawyer and Non-Executive Director.He began his career at Linklaters and then McDermott, Will and Emery, before moving to Coventry Building Society as Group General Counsel and Company Secretary.
Nailesh has lived and worked in the UK, Canada, the USA and South-East Asia, including as a Senior Executive with Petronas. During the covid-19 pandemic he worked as a Senior Adviser to the COVAX facility (working with GAVI, the WHO and UNICEF).
He is also a Non-Executive Director of University College London Hospitals NHS Trust, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital NHS Trust, Newbury Building Society, Whittington Health NHS Trust, and the charity United Way UK.
Jim Gallagher, Non-executive Director
Jim Gallagher is an experienced non-executive director, having been a board member for some of the country’s largest pension and life assurance companies. Prior to joining the PPF Board he held non-executive roles at Phoenix Life, Standard Life, Reassure UK, Legal & General, Police Mutual, Royal London Assurance, Scottish Mutual and others.
In addition to his extensive Board experience, Jim has held a fellowship at Nuffield College, Oxford, and is an Honorary Professor in the School of Law at Glasgow and in the Centre for Constitutional and Legal Research at St Andrews. He is a Trustee of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's National Academy, and chairs the Think Tank Our Scottish Future. He has been a Member of the Council and then the Regulatory Committee of the Law Society of Scotland and held other charity directorships.
During his senior executive career in public service Jim held a number of civil service positions in Number 10, the Cabinet Office and the Scottish Office, including as senior advisor on devolution to both Prime Ministers Gordon Brown and Tony Blair, Head of the Scottish Justice Department and as Private Secretary to successive Secretaries of State for Scotland.