Press release

Legal & General appoints new Chair of the Independent Governance Committee

Joanne Segars, OBE has been appointed as the new Chair of the Independent Governance Committee (IGC) at Legal & General, with effect from 13 July 2022.

16 Jun 2022

Full press release

Joanne has been a member of the IGC since January 2019 and will succeed Dermot Courtier, Chair since March 2017. As part of the commitment to protecting members’ pensions, this appointment ensures the continued strength of the Committee responsible for governance of Legal & General’s WorkSave Pension Plan and Group Stakeholder Pension Plan.

Awarded an OBE for services to pensions in the 2003 Queen’s Birthday Honours, Joanne is a well-known industry figure, having held many high-profile roles including Governor of the Pensions Policy Institute and board membership of the Environment Agency, Pensions Europe and the Pensions Infrastructure Platform. She has also held roles as Chief Executive of the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association and Chair of the Joint Expert Panel on the Universities Superannuation Scheme. Joanne is currently chair of trustee at NOW: Pensions and Chair of LGPS Central Ltd. She also serves as an external expert on the Pension Fund Governing Board at CERN in Geneva.

The Independent Governance Committee is committed to protecting members’ pensions. They use their combined knowledge, experience and skills to make sure members are getting the best from their pension and to ensure it is governed well. The IGC is responsible for the governance of Legal & General’s WorkSave Pension Plan and Group Stakeholder Pension Plan, which includes over 2 million members and £30bn in assets under management (AUM)[1]

Rita Butler-Jones and Stuart Murphy, Co-Heads of Defined Contribution at Legal & General: “We are thrilled that Joanne has been appointed as Chair of the IGC. Joanne’s 30 plus years of industry experience has proven invaluable to the IGC and it’s great to see the appointment from within the existing talented pool of committee members. Joanne is a key industry figure and we are delighted she has accepted this new opportunity to lead the already-strong IGC. We would like to thank Dermot Courtier for leading the IGC and his unwavering dedication to members during his time on the Committee.”

Joanne Segars, OBE, the incoming Chair of the IGC: “I am delighted to be appointed as Chair of the IGC. I have greatly enjoyed working with my colleagues on the committee and look forward to taking the lead. I am proud of what we have already delivered, and look forward to a continuing our focus on delivering value for money for our members and what matters most to them. Dermot has been a great chair and colleague and I wish him well for the future.”

Dermot Courtier, the outgoing Chair of the IGC: “It has been a pleasure leading the IGC for the last five years and I have greatly enjoyed the opportunity. I feel as a committee we have made great strides in ensuring our members get the most from their pension and that it is governed extremely well. Joanne has been great to work with and I have every confidence that she will be a fantastic chair with the added benefit of already having strong relationships with the IGC.”

[1] L&G internal data as at 1 April 2022.

Further information

Asset Management PR Team

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Notes to editors

Established in 1836, L&G is one of the UK's leading financial services groups and a major global investor, with £1.1 trillion in total assets under management (as at FY24) of which c. 44% (c. £0.5 trillion) is international.

We have a highly synergistic business model, which continues to drive strong returns. We are a leading player in Institutional Retirement, in Retail Savings and Protection, and in Asset Management through both public and private markets. Across the Group, we are committed to responsible investing and dedicated to serving the long-term savings and investment needs of customers and society.

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