Investment advisory

John Arthur has nearly 40 years’ experience within the defined benefit pension industry, including over 25 years at one of the UK’s largest inhouse pension funds as an investment director and 12 years working as an independent investment advisor to LGPS and corporate pension schemes and other institutional asset owners. John initially worked as an equity fund manager before becoming an independent investment advisor. He has worked on manager selection and strategic asset allocation mandates, as well as covering areas such as the use of derivatives, transition management, trustee training, and more recently investment into social housing.

Adrian was educated at Cambridge University and INSEAD and has worked in corporate financial management, as well as some 20 years in asset management, as a portfolio manager in equities and multi-asset. Since 2019, he has provided independent financial advice to LGPS funds, as well as board roles on a major DB pension scheme and an investment trust. His advice focuses on asset allocation, investment strategy, and portfolio construction.

Nicholas was educated at Oxford and Georgetown Universities. He has worked in the UK Civil Service, strategy consultancy, and for many years in the investment industry, where he managed equity portfolios and currency overlays and worked with a wide range of clients in the UK and overseas. He now serves as a trustee and investment committee member of a UK benevolent society.

Anthony has over 29 years’ experience as a fixed income investor and portfolio manager with market leading asset management companies; including Deutsche and Aberdeen Asset Management. He was responsible for investment strategy and tactical asset allocation for fixed income and multi-asset clients with benchmark driven and total return objectives. Anthony’s clients included LGPS and corporate pension schemes, sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies, and charitable foundations. For the last 5 years of his time at Aberdeen Asset Management, Anthony was a member of the consultative and chair of the Investment Committee of the Group Pension Plan and was responsible for investment policy and monitoring performance. Since leaving Aberdeen Asset Management, Anthony has built up a portfolio of clients and currently advises pension funds with a total AUM of £36 billion. As well as working with Apex Investment Advisors, where he has led manager selection processes for Global Green Infrastructure and multi-asset investment solutions for pension funds. He is a NED and chair of the investment sub-committee of a large UK corporate pension fund and a retained independent investment adviser to several LGPS. Anthony is FCA registered CF30 – Investment Advice.

Ashley studied Maths at Nottingham University, getting a BSc and an MSc, before qualifying as an actuary. For over 30 years he held senior investment management roles in fixed income, multi-asset, private debt, real estate finance, client relationship management, sales, and marketing for M&G, AXA, and Legal & General. He has also done investment training for trustees and the media. Ashley has been a senior investment advisor for Apex Group since 2021 and has worked on a number of mandate searches and due diligence exercises.

John has an economics degree from Nottingham University, is a member of CIPFA, and has over 30 years’ experience at director/assistant director level in local authority finance and pension funds. Since 2012, he has worked independently, currently chairing the pension boards for two LGPS schemes and as a trustee for a national charity. His current roles cover the whole range of pension fund activity and he has particular expertise in governance issues.

Karen has worked in the finance sector for over 30 years. She provides independent investment advice to the London Boroughs of Islington, Camden, and Hounslow pension funds. In 2017, she set up Pensions for Purpose, a collaborative information-sharing and training platform which aims to raise awareness of responsible, sustainable, and impact investment amongst pension funds. She is non-executive Chair of Resonance Ltd, an impact manager investing in real estate social impact opportunities, and chair of the Strategic Investment Board for the Ministry of Justice.

After working as the CIO at Manulife Europe, Steve gained extensive experience as a trustee, director, and adviser for public and private sector pension funds including the National Trust and Brunel Pension Partnership. He formerly chaired the trustees and investment committees at of Manufacturers Life DB scheme and Devro, was a public governance member of Network Rail, and adviser to Devon and Gloucestershire LGPS. He is currently an adviser within the LGPS for Dorset and chairs the Scotiabank DB scheme. He is a Chartered Fellow of the Securities Institute.

Rohan has worked in financial markets for over 40 years and has extensive experience of investment markets, pension fund, and charity governance. Over this time, he has led fixed income and equity investment teams and has developed leadership skills, with the ability to manage and motivate others. He was a managing director at Blackrock and previous roles held include investor advisor to Berkshire Pension Fund, Chair of the Cornwall Pension Board, and Chair of the Hammersmith & Fulham Foodbank. His current roles include investment advisor to both the Merseyside Pension Fund and the East Riding Pension Fund and Chair of the Finance & Investment Committee of the Allied Irish UK Pension Fund.

William leads Apex's Investment Advisory business and team. His remit spans strategic asset allocation and portfolio construction, manager selection, and investment and operational due diligence across alternative investments, with a focus on private equity, private credit, infrastructure, and real estate. He advises institutional investors on the design and implementation of private markets programmes and delivering independent, conflict-free advice across the investment lifecycle. Since joining, William has overseen the allocation of over $3 billion into private markets across a broad range of strategies. He previously worked in multi-asset investment solutions at Standard Life Investments / Aberdeen, and has held roles across alternatives, hedge funds, and securities within global banks and boutique investment firms in the City of London. William is a CFA Charterholder and CAIA Charterholder and holds the CFA Certificate in Sustainable Investing. He has also completed the Oxford Saïd Business School Artificial Intelligence Programme. William holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from HEC Lausanne and a Master's degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics.

Robert brings three decades of experience across institutional and asset owner environments, with deep expertise in alternatives, multi asset investing, portfolio construction and capital allocation across both public and private markets. Most recently, he served as CIO of a GCC based family office, building an institutional grade investment capability and leading direct private investments. Prior to this, he was CEO of Silphium Asset Management in London, where he led a successful business turnaround. Earlier in his career, he was CIO of a significant single family office, and held a senior leadership role at Janus Henderson, launching and scaling a multi strategy equities platform to over $3bn AUM. He began his investing career as a portfolio manager at event-driven hedge funds in London and New York. Robert holds a Double First-Class degree from Oxford University.

Peter Boden is a seasoned investment and wealth management executive with a distinguished career spanning global investment banks, boutique advisory firms, and family office platforms. He has held senior leadership roles in Global Portfolio Trading, Delta One, and Quantitative Strategies at Merrill Lynch and HSBC, where he built a reputation for delivering innovative, high-performing investment solutions. Peter brings deep expertise in alternative investments and hedge funds, alongside a proven track record in managing model portfolio services (MPS) and designing bespoke strategies for ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) clients and institutional investors. His ability to seamlessly integrate investment strategy with operational execution makes him a trusted advisor across the financial ecosystem.

Adam Grimsley, CFA, is a London based private markets specialist with experience across both investment advisory and fund platform environments. He advises family offices, sovereign wealth funds and pension schemes on the design, structuring and positioning of private and alternative markets programmes, integrating manager selection and access within broader portfolio construction and investor requirements. He specialises in private markets with a focus on portfolio design, product structuring, commitment pacing and liquidity management, bringing a strong understanding of institutional investor requirements to the development of investable products aligned with demand, deployment needs and governance frameworks. Prior to his current role, Adam was Investment Director, Private Markets at abrdn. He previously served as COO and Head of Investment Solutions at Prime Factor Capital and began his career as an Investment Specialist at BlackRock. Adam is a CFA Charterholder and a Chartered Accountant. He holds a BA from the University of Warwick and studied Economics at the University of Bologna.

Mayank Agrawal is a Senior Vice President in the Investment Advisory team, with extensive experience advising institutional investors across both public and private markets. He specialises in strategic asset allocation, multi-asset portfolio construction, and manager selection, with strong expertise in alternative investments including private credit, infrastructure, real assets, and other illiquid strategies. Mayank also provides ongoing portfolio oversight, helping clients navigate complex investment environments and optimise long-term outcomes. Prior to his current role, Mayank held senior investment consulting positions at Gallaher, Mercer, and WTW, where he led advisory relationships with a broad range of institutional clients including defined benefit (DB) and defined contribution (DC) pension schemes, insurers, charities, and endowments. Mayank holds an MSc in Management from Imperial College Business School and a first-class MEng in Engineering from the University of Bristol.

Shannon joined the Apex Investment Advisory team in 2022. Her responsibilities include investment research, manager selection, strategic asset allocation, portfolio construction, and both investment and operational due diligence, with a particular focus on alternative investments such as private equity, private credit, infrastructure, real estate, and natural capital. Prior to joining Apex, she worked at Ping An of China Asset Management (Hong Kong). Shannon holds a Bachelor's degree in Medical Engineering from the University of Hong Kong and a Master's degree in Finance from Tsinghua University and is a CFA charterholder.

Khona is an analyst and plays a critical role in delivering strategic asset allocation, portfolio construction, and manager selection. With a deep focus on private markets, including private equity, private credit, infrastructure, and real estate, Khona forms part of research initiatives and supports due diligence processes to optimise investment outcomes. Prior to this role, Khona served as an investment performance research and implementation analyst at Old Mutual Multi-Managers. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Investment Management and Banking (triple major in statistics, economics, and investments) and certifications in financial modelling and analysis. Currently, he is pursuing his CFA qualification and is driven by his passion for finance, data analytics, and investment strategy.

Kea is the Senior Business Manager for Apex Investment Advisory with experience in auditing, operations management, financial risk, and compliance. Her current role consists of day-to-day operations within the business, including managing, maintaining, and assisting with client pitches, business development initiatives, and she serves as a contact person for senior advisors. Prior to joining Apex Group, Kea worked as an operations manager at BDO Cape Town. Kea holds a BCom degree in Chartered Accountancy from North-West University and completed her SAICA articles with Moore Cape Town.