About us - EPFIF

United Kingdom

The Pension Fund Investment Forum

Started in September 1994, and meeting monthly, has held over 290 meetings. It has 197 pension fund members with assets of approximately £650 billion.

The Money Purchase Pensions Forum

Started in September 1997, with meetings every other month, has held over 130 meetings.

The Pension Trustees Circle

Started in July 1999, now with three meetings a year in January (Hertfordshire), July (Buckinghamshire) and September (Yorkshire). The PTC has now met over 45 times.

The Private Markets Investors Forum

Founded in 2016, with a breakfast meeting in March and September, the purpose of this Forum is to improve the quality of information available to pension funds and other institutional investors in private market investments.

Other Areas

The Irish Pension Fund Investment Forum

Started in October 2014, it has now held 10 meetings. Meetings are held in April and October in Dublin.

Nordic Division

Started in November 1996, with five meetings a year in the regions’ main cities including Copenhagen, Helsinki, Oslo and Stockholm, has held over 110 meetings.

The Southern Africa Pension Fund Investment Forum

Started in October 2006, has now held over 35 meetings in Sandton and Cape Town, South Africa and in Windhoek, Namibia. It holds three meetings a year in the region.

The Swiss International Division

Started in June 2002 and has held over 65 meetings. It holds four meetings a year in leading cities including Zurich and Bern.

The European Pension Fund Investment Forum International Seminar

In addition to the above, from September 1996 an International Seminar has been held annually in Europe with members invited from all over Europe (and more recently Africa). There have now been over 20 meetings.

Key contacts

Trevor Cook

Co-Founder and Executive Director

Trevor is Co-Founder and Executive Director of EPFIF Limited and is the Founder and Managing Director of Specialist Pension Services Limited and SPS Conferences.

Trevor continues to attend most meetings and is actively involved in topics and venue selection of both EPFIF and SPS Conferences.

Trevor’s career started at the Legal & General Assurance Society, and progressed through Swiss Life Insurance & Pension Company to GEC where he became Assistant Pensions Manager in charge of scheme administration. After a period with Lonrho, Trevor joined Maxwell Communication Corporation and subsequently transferred to The Mirror Group as their Pensions Manager. He left The Mirror in October 1992 to start Specialist Pensions Services.

Trevor has a First-Class Honours Mathematics degree from the University of Newcastle and was elected a fellow of the Pensions Management Institute in 1988. He is involved with a number of charities including a period of five years as Chair of the Hertfordshire Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre.

Email Trevor

Fred Jaffe

Co-Founder and Executive Director

Fred Jaffe is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of EPFIF Limited and Executive Director of Specialist Pension Services Limited and SPS Conferences.

Fred regularly meets with Members of all Divisions to ensure close contact with the needs of the pension fund community to enable EPFIF meets these needs.

Fred’s career started with the US Congress as a Senior Legislative Assistant and he then continued in Government as a Trial Counsel for the Federal Energy Regulating Commission. After six years in Washington, Fred joined Standard & Poor’s as Vice President Corporate Finance (bond analyst) and then moved to Jefferies & Co. (an investment banking firm) as Senior Vice President, International Business Development – working in New York and then in London.

Fred is a qualified lawyer and a Member of the Washington DC Bar. Fred received his BA with Distinction from the University of Rochester and JD from Case Western Reserve University.

Email Fred

Jane Rae

Chief Operating Officer

Jane joined in January 2019 as Chief Operating Officer of SPS Conferences, The European Pension Fund Investment Forum and The Pension Investment Academy.

She has over 25 years’ experience in the conference and events sector with a focus on investment and emerging markets. Prior to her current role, she was Managing Director at New Sparta Events which produced forums and roundtables for emerging markets investors. Previously she was responsible for the strategic development and growth of a legal events and training portfolio at Practical Law and subsequently, Thomson Reuters. She was also the co-founder of Adam Smith Conferences, which produced events focusing on investment opportunities in Russia and the CIS, from its launch through to sale to Informa.

Jane is a graduate in Economics and Economic History from the University of Bristol.

Email Jane

Alkesh Shah

Programme Director

Alkesh Shah is the Programme Director for EPFIF and The Pension Investment Academy (PIA).

Alkesh has overall responsibility for the Programmes for all investment Forums/Seminars across the EPFIF and the PIA. Alkesh works closely with the EPFIF Advisory Committees who advise on topics selected for the seminars. He regularly researches current investment issues and industry trends and to ensure that programme content and speakers are relevant to Members.

Prior to joining EPFIF in 2009, Alkesh was Head of Consultant Relations (EMEA) at JPMorgan Worldwide Securities Services (WSS) where he was responsible for liaising and building relationships with pension funds and their consultants. Alkesh was also a Segment Analysts in the Pension & Charities business where he developed a strategic EMEA business plan and organised leadership seminars.

Prior to joining JPMorgan WSS in 2006, Alkesh worked as an Investment Consultant for over six years at Towers Watson. His responsibilities included general consulting advice for pension fund clients including areas such as Investment Strategy, Manager Selection and Monitoring as well as being part of the Custody Consulting Research team.

Alkesh holds an Investment Management Certificate (IMC) and a BSc Economics degree from the University of Warwick.

Email Alkesh

Liz Doughty

Special Projects Director

Liz is Special Projects Director for EPFIF and SPS Conferences – a wide ranging role which includes introducing new business initiatives. Liz was instrumental in forming the Irish and Bestuurstafel Divisions of the Forum.

Liz has over 20 years’ experience in conferences, publishing and business to business media particularly within the financial services and legal industries. Liz initially joined Sweet & Maxwell publishers as a Legal Editor. She moved to Kluwer publications as a commissioning editor responsible for pensions and benefits publications before joining IBC Conferences (later the Informa group). Liz was promoted to Director of the asset management conference team before moving to a part-time role following the birth of her first child. In 2006 she moved to Informa’s newly acquired IIR conference group and whilst there she was responsible for growing and developing some of the team’s largest events.

Liz also holds a post-graduate diploma from the Chartered Institute of Marketing. She graduated from Manchester University with a Law Degree and achieved the Law Society Finals (exam for solicitors).

Email Liz

Benelux Forum – Belgian Meetings.

Benelux Forum – Dutch Meetings.

International Seminar.

Irish Pension Fund Investment Forum.

Money Purchase Pensions Forum.

Nordic Forum.

Pensioen Bestuurstafel.

Pension Trustees Circle.

Private Markets Investors Forum.

Southern Africa Pension Fund Investment Forum.

Swiss International Forum.

UK Pension Fund Investment Forum.