Ross Trustees, the professional trustee and pensions services firm, trustee director Manpreet Sohal has been appointed as the new chair of the Association of Professional Pension Trustees (APPT) Diversity and Inclusion Sub-Committee.
The Committee’s mission is to create awareness of the necessity of varied representation among the APPT members and to provide them with the knowledge they need to make the best decisions possible in the scheme’s best interests. It intends to accomplish this by assuring a diverse range of perspectives in decision-making and encouraging trustee boards to use inclusive approaches.
Sohal will head the committee in achieving its goals of promoting best practices in relation to diversity and inclusion on trustee boards across the whole scope of APPT members’ activity. This will entail introducing principles-based advice as well as organising member training and education.
Sohal will take over as chair as a long-serving member of the Ross Trustees team, having been a part of the organisation since its creation in 2010. She is the head of the firm’s own diversity and inclusion working group, which aims to improve results by increasing diversity on the boards of directors on which they serve.
Sohal says: “I am delighted the Committee has entrusted me with heading up the APPT’s ongoing mission to influence positive change in the pensions industry. Driving diversity is already a priority for the organisations I work with, and I am excited to work alongside leading figures in the pensions sector to amplify this initiative industry-wide.
“As a key component for sustainable growth for schemes, diversity and inclusion is a matter that remains at the forefront for investors, regulators, and other stakeholders. I am excited about the opportunities this role will provide to help professional trustees create inclusive and diverse cultures, which in turn will boost innovation, collaboration and member engagement.”