WTW has appointed Simon Davidge as senior director in its defined contribution (DC) advisory team.

Davidge returns to WTW after 10 years from Mercer, where he was a principal consultant, specialising in DC and financial wellbeing for over four years. Prior to that, he held DC-focused consultancy roles at Isio, KPMG and WTW, where he worked from 2008 to 2016. In his new role, Davidge will lead existing DC clients’ teams and support the team’s growth agenda, both through external and internal channels. He will report to WTW senior director of the DC team, Natasha Rogers. Commenting on the appointment, Rogers said: “We are delighted to welcome Simon back to WTW as senior director within our DC team. His extensive experience in DC and financial wellbeing, combined with a proven track record across several major organisations, strengthens our ability to support clients with strategic, forward-looking solutions.”

West Midlands Pension Fund has appointed Dalriada Trustees senior trustee director, Mandy Kaur-Sadler, as its independent person from May 2026.

The appointment precedes the implementation of Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) governance reforms and follows market engagement and a competitive selection process. Kaur-Sadler brings significant experience from across the pensions sector, including the LGPS, and a strong understanding of governance in complex and highly regulated environments. She also has a strong connection to the West Midlands, bringing both professional expertise and regional insight to the role. In this role, she will provide independent insight and challenge to support the fund’s Pensions Committee across all aspects of investment, governance and pension administration. The role will strengthen the Committee’s approach as the regulatory landscape continues to evolve.

Eversheds Sutherland has announced 25 promotions to partner, effective from 1 May 2026.

These promotions include five promotions in the employment, labour and pensions group. James Ellis, Jen Green and Sarah Lown were promoted to pensions partners. Ellis will work in the Birmingham office, Green will work in the Cardiff office, and Lown will work in the Manchester office. 40 per cent of the individuals promoted to partner were female. Commenting on the update, Eversheds Sutherland (International) chief executive, Keith Froud, said: “Our newly promoted partners exemplify exceptional talent, deep client commitment and market-leading capability. My congratulations go to our 2026 cohort on this well-earned achievement for their outstanding contribution to our clients and our firm.”

AJ Bell has appointed Sarah Coles as the head of personal finance.

Coles has experience in personal finance and investment media work and will be responsible for producing analysis and content on relevant topics for AJ Bell’s customers and the financial media. Before joining AJ Bell, she spent over eight years at Hargreaves Lansdown and prior to that worked as a freelance journalist.

---