Frank Johnson and Richard Butcher Announced as new NAPF Council Chairs

Frank Johnson and Richard Butcher have been announced as the new Council Chairmen of the National Association of Pension Funds’ (NAPF) Defined Benefit (DB) Council and Defined Contribution (DC) Council respectively. Both will assume their responsibilities after the AGM in October for a three-year term.

The NAPF’s Councils carry out a vital role, as they allow members the opportunity to contribute to the strategic direction of NAPF policy on a wide range of issues relating to pensions.

Frank Johnson oversaw the investment business streams of RPMI and RPMI Railpen between 2009 and 2015, and will be heading up the NAPF’s DB Council. The Council represents all forms of workplace DB schemes, including those running single-employer trust schemes, multi-employer schemes and local authority pension funds.

Richard Butcher is Managing Director of PTL, and will be chairman of the NAPF’s DC Council representing all forms of workplace DC schemes, including those running single-employer trust schemes, master trusts and those overseeing an employer’s use of a contract-based scheme.

Commenting on the appointments, Ruston Smith, Chairman of the NAPF, said:

“This announcement comes at a time when the pensions industry is facing an ever increasing number of challenges, and the skills and expertise that Frank and Richard bring will help make sure our DB and DC Councils’ advice and guidance always meet the needs of our members. They both have a great understanding of where we are as an industry, and as importantly, where we need to be heading.”

After intense interest in Council vacancies this year and a hard fought election, the full DB and DC Councils have been elected and the results are now up on the NAPF website.

Congratulations to the successful candidates and very many thanks to everyone who stood and to all those who voted.

-ENDS-

 

About Richard Butcher

Richard Butcher joined PTL in 2008, becoming Managing Director in 2010. He has responsibility for a wide and diverse range of clients with a specific focus on governance. Richard is a Fellow of the Pensions Management Institute also sitting on the Council.

He is Chairman of the NAPF DC Council and sits on the NAPF board. He was Highly Commended in the 2010 & 2011 Engaged Investor Independent Trustee of the Year Awards and was also recently named as one of the Top 50 Most Influential People in Pensions in both 2014 and 2015 by Pensions Insight.

Richard is a member of The Pensions Regulator DC Practitioner Panel, the Mastertrust Association, the DWP Trustee Panel and co-Founder of The Association of Member Nominated Trustees.

About Frank Johnson

Frank joined RPMI in 2004 as Finance Director and became Managing Director, Investments in 2009, supporting the Trustee of the multi-employer rail industry pension schemes.  He oversaw the investment business streams of RPMI and RPMI Railpen, with assets under management of some £22 billion.  

Frank is an independent non-executive director at First State Investments, UK and at GO Investment Partners.  He is also a non-executive director of the NAPF and Chairman of the NAPF DB Council.  He also sits on the Board of the Railway Benefit Fund, a registered charity.

Frank is a chartered accountant and holds a Commerce degree.  Before joining RPMI, Frank held a number of finance director posts in the transport sector.