Governance and charges big hitter David Pitt-Watson is to become an ambassador of the Transparency Task Force.
Pitt-Watson joins the group, which had its first meeting in May 2015, to help promote its goals of increasing transparency through the pensions sector and across the broader financial services community.
Pitt-Watson was chair of Hermes Focus Funds until the end of 2012, and is a former board member of Hermes Fund Managers. As co-founder and former chief executive officer of the Focus Funds and Equity Ownership Service he built and led the largest responsible investment group of any institutional fund manager in the world. David is an independent non-executive at KPMG, an advisor to Aviva Investors, Chair of the UN Environment Programme’s Finance Initiative, leads the RSA’s Tomorrow’s Investor Programme and is also a director of the International Corporate Governance Network.
His book, The New Capitalists, has been translated into five languages.
Pitt-Watson says: “There can be no serious doubt the importance of transparency in financial services. This is a worthwhile and necessary cause so I am delighted to encourage this initiative. The Transparency Task Force has made good progress, with an inclusive and collaborative approach being taken. I would encourage pension scheme trustees and members of investment governance committees in both the public and private sector, plus all relevant commercial organisations to find out more about what is being done, and why. Pension scheme members, investors and sponsors all stand to benefit.”
Andy Agathangelou, Founding Chair of the Transparency Task Force says: “We had very high expectations of David when he spoke at the Transparency Symposium because he is known to be something of a visionary in this space and we discovered that the reality is even better than the reputation. Having David involved as an Ambassador is simply fantastic. We believe that high levels of transparency are a prerequisite for financial services markets to be fairer, safer, more efficient and more likely to deliver better value-for-money. David’s insight will help us to effect the change that the financial services industry needs and the public deserves, right around the world”.