Lesley Williams has been appointed as chairman of the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF).
The group pensions director of Whitbread will replace Tesco group pensions director Ruston Smith whose two-year tenure ends at the NAPF annual general meeting on 16 October.
At Whitbread, Williams is responsible for the corporate pensions strategy of the multi-national hotel, coffee shop and restaurant company and for the operation of the scheme and its investments.
She has more than 20 years’ experience including roles at Gateway Foodmarkets, Abbey National, the Pearl Group and as head of pensions with the Henderson Group. She is also a fellow of the Pensions Management Institute and has held a non-executive director role at the NAPF since 2011 and is chairman of its defined contribution council.
Williams (pictured) said: “I’m delighted to become the next chair of the NAPF and to succeed Ruston Smith. I would like to thank Ruston for his guidance, expertise and tenacity during a very busy time for pensions in the UK. I am also very pleased to be the first woman to chair the NAPF.
“We have seen an almost unprecedented amount of change in pensions in the past two years, but one thing remains sure – pensions will continue to be a hot topic, both socially and politically, for many years to come. The NAPF is in a unique position to inform that debate and to make sure the views and interests of schemes and their members are heard.”
Smith said: “I’m absolutely delighted that Lesley will be the next chair. Lesley has an infectious passion for pensions and always has the interests of members at the heart of everything she does. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that will be of considerable value, particularly at this important juncture of retirement savings in the UK, and will make sure that NAPF members’ views will continue to be heard in Whitehall, Westminster and Brussels.”
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