Speakers
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Dawid Konotey-Ahulu CBE DL Co-Founder of mallowstreet
Dawid is a serial entrepreneur, having co-founded Redington and mallowstreet with Robert Gardner. Dawid remains involved in mallowstreet as a Board Director.
Most recently Dawid co-founded The #10000BlackInterns programme with Jonathan Sorrell (President of Capstone Investment Advisers), Michael Barrington-Hibbert (founder of Barrington-Hibbert Associates), and Wol Kolade (Managing Partner of Livingbridge), the group which founded #100BlackInterns in August 2020.
Through the #100BlackInterns initiative, leading players in the investment management industry have come together to address the chronic underrepresentation of Black talent in that sector. Since its launch, the programme has garnered extraordinary support with 200 investment management companies offering internships in the Summer of 2021 to Black students in the United Kingdom as a way of attracting a more diverse range of talent to their industry.
Following the launch of #100BlackInterns, the #10000BlackInterns initiative has been designed to help transform the horizons and prospects of young Black people in the United Kingdom. The 10,000 Black Interns programme will offer paid work experience across a wide range of sectors, providing training and development opportunities and creating a sustainable cycle of mentorship and sponsorship for the Black community.
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Azka Ali Client Director & Professional Trustee, Vidett
Azka is a Client Director at Vidett, where she leads the Midlands business. She has over 20 years' experience in pensions consulting and trusteeship and holds professional trustee appointments across DC master trusts, CDC arrangements and DB schemes.
An actuary by background, Azka is a regular speaker on the future of workplace pensions, with a particular interest in the member perspective. She also brings insights from a secondment to the World Economic Forum, where she contributed to work on longevity literacy and the future of retirement systems.
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Sonia Kataora Partner - Head of DC Investment, Howden
Sonia is Head of DC Investment at Howden, where she directs the firm’s research agenda on DC pensions, helping clients navigate regulatory change and emerging industry developments.
With a strong focus on innovation, Sonia works with trustees, sponsors and in-house investment teams to identify practical, forward-thinking investment solutions that improve member outcomes and support effective scheme governance. Recognised as a leading voice in the DC pensions market, Sonia maintains close connections across the industry and regularly contributes to thought leadership initiatives.
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Naomi Clark Head of Investment Product Management, Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS)
Naomi is the Head of Investment Product Management for USSIM, the internal investment manager of The Universities Superannuation Scheme. USSIM manages over £80bn of predominantly DB assets for the UK Higher Education sector. Naomi has responsibility for the Fiduciary Management, Investment Product and Manager Selection teams.
Additionally, Naomi has responsibility for the DC product, and was responsible for its design and implementation in October 2016. More recently the product has been expanded to include directly held private markets within the daily dealing default funds.
Naomi joined USSIM in August 2012 from JP Morgan as Business Development Manager running front office projects across the scheme, she subsequently became the LDI & Treasury Manager, responsible for the external LDI mandate. Following that Naomi focused on the strategy solutions provision for the scheme within the Strategy Co-ordination team, helping to implement the schemes Reference Portfolio before more recently taking responsibility for the design and implementation of the new DC Product.
Naomi graduated from Loughborough University with a degree in English Literature and subsequently gained a 1st class degree in Finance from Oxford Brookes, additionally holding the ACCA and IMC qualifications.
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Muntazir Hadadi Head of Pensions, First Bus
Muntazir is Head of Pensions at First Bus, one of the UK’s largest transport companies. With a background in risk management, governance, and regulatory compliance, he has a deep understanding of the complexities of pension schemes, particularly defined contribution arrangements.
Muntazir is passionate about engaging scheme members with their pensions, promoting the financial wellbeing of colleagues, and fostering a positive, inclusive workplace culture.
