Nemashe Sivayogan has been appointed as the new Senior LGPS Officer for Barking and Dagenham Pension Fund. The appointment, confirmed at a Pensions Committee meeting on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, is a regulatory requirement stemming from the Fit for the Future proposals. These proposals mandate that each authority appoint a senior officer with overall responsibility for all pension functions, with the specific regulations stipulating that this role cannot be held by the Section 151 Officer or the Monitoring Officer.

The fund's value increased to £1.82 billion during the quarter, with its asset allocation predominantly in equity (62.06%), followed by fixed income (18.16%), private equity (13.02%), and other asset classes.

Bar chart showing the rate of return for the pension fund and its benchmark index over various time periods.
Bar chart showing the rate of return for the pension fund and its benchmark index over various time periods.Source: Pensions Committee papers, 16 September 2026

Sivayogan, who also holds the position of Head of Pension Fund, Treasury and Capital, was deemed well-suited for the role due to her extensive experience in public sector finance, including over 20 years managing LGPS funds, treasury management, and financial accounting. The meeting information indicates that the responsibilities of the Senior LGPS Officer are already encompassed within her existing duties. The committee formally agreed to assign the role to Sivayogan, with the role requirements prescribed by regulations meaning no further consultation was necessary.

The appointment carries no additional financial implications as the responsibilities are already part of her existing role. The benchmark against which the Barking and Dagenham Pension Fund's performance is being measured is 8.64% for the quarter and 16.60% over the past 12 months. The report also mentions an actuarial expectation of 4.7% per annum.

Sivayogan explained that the underperformance against the benchmark was due to the underperformance of a few active investment managers, specifically Kempen Capital Management and Baillie Gifford. These were the two mandates that had really, really underperformed, primarily due to their equity portfolios. In response to a question from Councillor Caleb van Ryneveld regarding potential reviews of these managers, it was stated that further discussions on government regulations and implementation would address these points in a subsequent paper.

Bar chart showing the longer-term performance of the pension fund in percentage per annum, with data for FYTD, 1 Year, 3 Years, 5 Years, 10 Years, and 20 Years.
Bar chart showing the longer-term performance of the pension fund in percentage per annum, with data for FYTD, 1 Year, 3 Years, 5 Years, 10 Years, and 20 Years.Source: Pensions Committee papers, 16 September 2026

More information on the Pensions Committee meeting can be found in the Public reports pack Wednesday 16 September 2026 and the Agenda frontsheet Wednesday 16 September 2026.