Manifest is pleased to announce the appointment of Valerie Callen as Business Development Manager this week. Valerie will be working alongside Paul Hewitt and will be focused primarily on public sector pension funds.

Valerie has been involved with local authority and other not-for-profit sector pension funds for over 28 years in a variety of roles most recently with Psolve Asset Solutions. Valerie has experienced many facets of the industry, latterly as an investment consultant advising on investment strategy, fund manager appointments and global custodian selection.  The appointment is timely given pension fund’s increased concerns following insufficient risk controls and poor governance within many companies and the ensuing banking sector crisis.

Valerie said "we have had significant progress post the first Myners Review and the Combined Code, including the Turner and Walker Reviews.  There is plenty of evidence to support the case that good governance should and does enable company management to deliver shareholder value. Public Sector pension funds, as with all Institutional Investors, have a fiduciary duty to ensure good governance is encouraged and practiced within investee companies and this can best be achieved by pension fund’s full participation as investors and ultimate owners of companies. Pension fund trustees have more and more tools in the box with the ever increasing pace of regulatory development. Diligent shareholder engagement, actively voting where practicable and efficiently monitoring the delegated activities of those investment managers and custodian banks carrying out those functions on their behalf are things that can no longer be left to chance."

Sarah Wilson, Chief Executive of Manifest says “We are delighted to strengthen our business with the appointment of Valerie. This appointment will enable Manifest to further develop and enhance it’s services in supporting trustees on voting and governance issues."