Border to Coast elects new joint Committee Chair

Councillors from North Yorkshire Council and Bedford Borough Council have been elected to lead the Joint Committee of Border to Coast Pensions Partnership, ensuring the voice of pension committee members continues to sit at the heart of the pool’s governance.

Responsible for overseeing the performance and direction of Border to Coast, the largest Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) pool in the UK, Cllr George Jabbour and Cllr Doug McMurdo have taken on the roles of Chair and Vice-Chair respectively. McMurdo was previously Chair of the committee.

The Joint Committee is comprised of a representative from each of Border to Coast’s Partner Funds, its only shareholders and customers.

Jabbour previously worked at Goldman Sachs, and was named as one of the UK’s rising stars in investment banking by Financial News before his election as a Councillor in North Yorkshire in 2022.

He said: “Having served as Vice-Chair of the Joint Committee, it is a particular privilege to receive the vote of confidence of my colleagues to take on this vital role, particularly as we navigate the upcoming investment and regulatory changes to the LGPS.

“I look forward to building on the positive and productive working relationships that I have developed with the Committee and with the rest of the team at Border to Coast to ensure that we do everything possible to deliver for the members of the LGPS.”

McMurdo steps down from his two-year tenure as Chair of the Joint Committee. He has been a member of Bedfordshire Pension Fund’s committee since 2009 and is also Chair of the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum (LAPFF).

McMurdo said: “It has been a privilege to have been heavily involved in pooling over the last decade. I have, with others, been a key influencer in shaping the operation in Leeds, particularly before the company achieved its FCA accreditation in July 2018.

“We now collectively move into the next phase of delivering our shared ambition for all Partner Funds for the ultimate benefit of our beneficiaries, employers, and of course the wider stakeholder interests.

“I am delighted to have the support of colleagues to continue as Vice-Chair of the Joint Committee.”