In our work with several of you, and hearing from others, identifying board / committee members and proper investment / values-investing training are on your to-do list.
Consultant Hymans Robertson (HR) out with their “National Knowledge Assessment Report 2022” as survey of pension committees and board members. The survey covers just UK government pension schemes, BUT the learnings are interesting.
HR issued a knowledge assessment to 16 pension schemes, with responses from over 200 governance board and committee members, assessing their knowledge in various areas, and training needs.
Their findings, compared to the prior 2020 survey, show a notable decline in “financial markets and product knowledge” to just 60% (in other words respondents correctly answer just 60% of questions related to this topic), and just 48% on “investment performance and risk management”, as shown below:
Overall, and related, respondents are seeking training in the following areas, with 5 of the top 8 related to investing, governance, and ESG / Impact investing.
The authors conclude by plugging their comprehensive “Online Learning Academy” for UK LGPS – do we need one, are you aware of one – for faith-based asset owners?