Access Pool has appointed Adams Street and HarbourVest as private equity allocators.

Adams Street and HarbourVest will oversee a multi-vintage programme whereby authorities can commit to vintages on an ongoing basis over the term of the mandate. Each vintage is expected to be globally diversified, with investments across primary, secondary, and co-investments. For the first five vintage years of the mandate, it is anticipated that the aggregate size of the annual commitments to both Adams Street and HarbourVest will be an average of £500m or more each year. Access Pool joint committee chairman, Cllr Mark Kemp-Gee, said it marked the third phase of a private markets programme that has seen Access steadily add private markets assets into its investable universe, the latest being a significant commitment to private equity through two market-leading investment partners in Adams Street and HarbourVest. The group also recently confirmed that it had appointed Arcmont and Golub Capital to manage European and US senior secured direct lending strategies. Arcmont will oversee the European mandate, with an allocation of £200m. Golub Capital will manage the US mandate, with a commitment of £150m expected. The strategies from Arcmont and Golub Capital will provide senior secured direct loans to corporates, focusing on middle-market companies backed by private equity sponsors.

Brightwell has appointed Paula Walter as a non-executive director.

Walter has held numerous leadership roles in both executive and non-executive capacities and spent over two decades working in technology, digital, data and information security within the financial services industry. Her roles included chief technology officer at Newton Investment Management, chief operating officer at Ruffer LLP, chief technology and information officer at Aldermore Group and Vice President at Goldman Sachs International. Walter also serves as a trustee for the University of Cape Town Trust and is a director and deputy chair of the German School London, where she established and chairs the IT committee, focusing on digital strategy development and IT policy. Brightwell chair, Denise Le Gal, commented: "Paula's extensive experience in technology and risk management will add further breadth and depth to our board. In addition to her technical expertise, her strategic leadership and ability to navigate complex challenges will be hugely valued."

Trafalgar House has appointed Iain Armour as business solutions architect.

Before joining Trafalgar House, Armour held senior architecture leadership roles within the RBS group, including central architecture, transformation programmes and operations roles with NatWest markets and international banking, covering system design, quality assurance, project delivery, and operational management. His experience includes delivering FX rates, structure management, guaranteed messaging, regulatory upgrades, and implementing new technologies that improve accuracy and efficiency. Trafalgar House managing director, Garry Wake, commented: "Pensions administration systems play a vital role in managing schemes effectively, but they come with significant challenges. The demands are immense, from meeting diverse client needs, complying with strict regulations and ensuring strong security to keeping up with fast-changing technology and controlling costs – all while delivering a high-quality service. Designing and developing innovative, resilient solutions to meet these demands is a formidable task."

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