Border to Coast appoints local investment lead
Author: LAPF Investments | Published: September 23, 2026
Border to Coast has appointed Luke Baker as a portfolio manager to lead the pool’s local investment programme on behalf of its partner funds.
He brings with him more than 25 years of private markets investment experience from previous roles at the likes of Woodbourne Group, Tesco Pension Fund, Aviva Investors, and Grosvenor. His experience in real estate includes delivering investments that created positive local impact through regional regeneration and development across commercial, living, healthcare, and hospitality sectors.
Reporting into the pool’s head of alternatives Ian Sandiford, Baker will work closely with partner funds and strategic industry partners to deliver the ambition of a central local investment capability, supporting partner funds in implementing strategic local asset allocations.
Baker said: “The Border to Coast partnership has delivered remarkable outcomes to date and I am excited to be joining the team in another pivotal year.
“I look forward to working with partner funds to build a local investment capability that will support long-term investment returns and deliver meaningful impact in the communities in which LGPS members live and work.”
Chief investment officer Joe McDonnell added: “Building a dedicated local investment capability is an important evolution of our private markets team and complements our current UK Opportunities strategy.
“Our ambition is to enable constructive discussions and working partnerships to make regional investment ambitions a success. Luke’s appointment is a real step forward in making this happen across our partnership, with the aim of benefiting regions from the border to coast of England.”
