Brunel names new Chair as Sally Bridgeland FIA FRSA BSc ARCS FSIP

Brunel Pension Partnership has appointed Sally Bridgeland as Chair of its Board of Directors.

Sally joins the Board as Deputy Chair on 1 May, and will formally take over as Chair on 1 October, once Denise Le Gal’s eight-year tenure as Chair comes to an end. Sally will be Brunel’s second Chair.

Sally is an actuary with extensive executive, advisory and non-executive experience across pensions and investment, spanning the private and public sector. She has served as a non-executive director on the board of Impax Asset Management Group plc since 2015 and as Chair since 2020, a role which ends in the summer of 2024.

“Brunel requires a Chair adept at working with a range wide of stakeholders to ensure our partnership can continue to make meaningful progress across value for money, performance and Responsible Investment,” said Andy Brown, Shareholder Representative, Wiltshire Pension Fund. “Sally is well-qualified for the role in investment and pensions, as a Non-Executive Director, and in her commitment to sustainability. Shareholders were unanimous in our support for her appointment.”

Sally’s impact as Chair at Impax was highlighted in 2023 when she won Non-Executive Director of the Year (FTSE AIM category) at the NED Awards in London. The award particularly recognised her leadership on sustainability, governance, diversity & inclusion, and stakeholder management. Each of these priorities is of core importance to Brunel and our Board, as we continue to develop the business in line with our strategic objectives.

“Sally offers multiple strengths as both a leader and a Board member,” said Laura Chappell, CEO at Brunel. “She benefits from exceptional experience across pensions and investment and has a strong track record in both responsible investment and stakeholder relations. I am delighted that our partnership has found such a strong candidate to provide guidance as Brunel enters the next chapter in our development, and I look forward to working closely with her.”

Board composition

Brunel approaches Board recruitment strategically, balancing industry and stakeholder management experience with our desire to benefit from multiple perspectives. In line with our approach as asset owner, Brunel continues to seek out diversity across professional experience, nationality, gender, and race. Brunel has eight Board members, of whom five are independent and four are women.

Sally’s experience as a trustee and non-executive director includes Investment Committee Chair at Nest, and Chair at Local Pensions Partnership Investments, the latter from its inception in 2015 to 2023. She currently serves on the Boards of two insurers, Pension Insurance Corporation and RSA, and as Chair at BelleVie Care.

She developed her particular aptitude for stakeholder relations across multiple roles, including an extended period working for Hewitt Associates (now Aon) in pensions and investment consulting research and innovation, and in her current role as Honorary Group Captain in 601 Squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, providing insights from business and finance to the senior leadership team at the Royal Air Force.

“I’m delighted and honoured to be joining Brunel at such a crucial moment for pooling and pensions investment in the UK,” she said.