Three Directors and New Deputy Chairs appointed to Investment Association Board

Three new Directors and two new Deputy Chairs have been appointed to the Investment Association (IA) Board of Directors following its Annual General Meeting (AGM) this afternoon. The Board of Directors oversees the IA’s activity and is made up of senior leaders from across the industry.  

Joining the Board are:   

• Eric Adler, Chief Executive Officer, Asset Management, L&G 

• Samantha Alexander, UK Country Officer & UK Chief Operating Officer at DWS Group 

• Sasha Wiggins, Chief Executive of Private Bank and Wealth Management, Barclays 

Appointed as Deputy Chair are: 

• Joseph Pinto, Chief Executive Officer, M&G Investments 

• Mark Versey, Chief Executive Officer, Aviva Investors  

The three new Directors replace Patrick Thomson, JP Morgan Asset Management and former Chair of the Board, Catherine O'Reilly, Fiera Capital and Karen Zachary, Lansdowne Partners.  

The new Deputy Chairs are existing Board Members, replacing Nasreen Kasenally, UBS Asset Management and Euan Munro, formerly of Newton Investment Management.  

Ann Prendergast, Chair of the IA Board, said: “I am thrilled to welcome our new members Eric, Samantha and Sasha to the Investment Association Board, as well as our new Deputy Chairs Joseph and Mark. Their diverse industry experience and fresh perspectives will be an invaluable addition to our work to drive growth and innovation in the investment management industry. I look forward to working alongside them as we strive to build financial resilience across the UK. I would also like to express my thanks to outgoing members Patrick, Catherine and Karen for their commitment and contributions to the IA Board.” 

Chris Cummings, CEO of the Investment Association, said: “Welcoming new industry leaders to the Investment Association’s Board is always a pleasure. Eric, Samantha and Sasha bring a wealth of financial services experience, and I look forward to their contribution and collaboration to promote the UK investment management industry. I also look forward to continuing to work alongside Joseph and Mark as they step into the role of Deputy Chairs. Finally, I want to extend a particular thank you to our outgoing Chair Patrick Thomson. During his three-year term Patrick’s leadership and dedication have been instrumental in championing our industry.” 

 

Notes to Editors:  

Appointments to the IA board are typically for three-year terms. Board members may seek re-election after their term is complete.   

 

New Board Members 

Eric Adler, L&G 

Eric was appointed Chief Executive Officer, Asset Management on 2 December 2024. 

Prior to joining L&G, Eric was President and Chief Executive Officer of PGIM, Private Alternatives where he led the private alternative strategies, investments and client financing solutions across private credit, agriculture, real estate, infrastructure and private equity. Before joining PGIM in 2010, Eric was a senior Managing Director and Co-Head of Europe for Tishman Speyer. Eric has also previously worked for Morgan Stanley Real Estate, where he led investment activities in Germany, France, Italy and Spain. 

Eric is a founding member of the European Advisory Board of the Zell/Lurie Real Estate Center at the Wharton School and member of the GFANZ Principals Group which sets strategic direction and priorities for GFANZ and monitors progress. He is also Chairman of The Academy of Real Assets, a UK organisation that aims to have a significant positive impact on diversity within the real assets industry through philanthropic and educational activities with underserved youth. 

Eric has a bachelor's degree in business administration, summa cum laude, from University of Arizona. In addition, he holds a graduate business degree from HEC Business School in France. 

 

Samantha Alexander, DWS 

Samantha was appointed as UK Country Officer in July 2024, in addition to her existing role as Chief Operating Officer for the UK. As UK Country Officer, Samantha is responsible for oversight of the UK and its contribution to DWS’s overall corporate strategy.  

Samantha is a longstanding DWS employee, having joined Deutsche Bank in 2011 as a Programme Manager in the Business Solutions Group and latterly in a Change Management leadership role within Client & Data Services. Samantha subsequently took on the role of Programme Manager for the Global Client Group at DWS, with responsibility for operational management of the sales teams in EMEA (excluding Germany). 

Most recently Samantha is Chief Operating Officer for the UK at DWS, where she was responsible for the operating environment of the UK business. Prior to joining Deutsche Bank and DWS, Samantha also held operational roles at various international banks. 

In addition to her career achievements, Samantha is a vocal supporter of furthering Diversity and Inclusion in the asset management industry and across financial services more broadly. 

 

Sasha Wiggins, Barclays 

Sasha Wiggins is Chief Executive of Barclays Private Bank and Wealth Management, and she is a member of the Group Executive Committee. 

Sasha joined Barclays in 2002, progressing through a number of roles in the Private Bank. In 2015 she was appointed CEO of Barclays Bank Ireland and subsequently became the Group Chief of Staff in 2018. Sasha joined the Group Executive Committee as the Group Head of Public Policy and Corporate Responsibility, accountable for the Bank’s overall sustainability agenda and Barclays engagement with governments, regulators, the media and key policymakers. She assumed her current role in February 2024. 

In September 2025, Sasha was announced Chair of the UK’s new retail investment campaign. The flagship initiative was launched by the Chancellor in July 2025 as part of the Leeds Reforms, and aims to reshape the UK’s investment culture by helping more people understand the long-term benefits of investing. 

Sasha is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Securities & Investment. She is also Vice Chair of the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity’s Corporate Partnerships Board and trustee on the Board of Grief Encounter, a national charity supporting bereaved children and young people. 

 

New Deputy Chairs 

Joseph Pinto, Chief Executive Officer, M&G Investments 

Joseph Pinto joined M&G plc in March 2023 and is Chief Executive Officer of M&G Investments. M&G Investments has £324 billion of asset under management and administration across private markets, fixed income, equities and multi asset (as at 30 June 2025). 

 
With 30 years of experience in asset management, financial services, and consulting, Joseph joined from Natixis Investment Managers where he served as a Head of Distribution and Investment Solutions for EMEA, APAC and LATAM and Global Chief Operating Officer. Previously at AXA Investment Managers for 13 years, Joseph held senior positions, including Global Chief Operating Officer, Global Head of Markets & Investment Strategy and Head of Business Development for South Europe and the Middle East. 

 

Mark Versey, Chief Executive Officer, Aviva Investors  

Mark is CEO of Aviva Investors, the global asset management business of Aviva plc, with £238 billion in assets under management as at 31 December 2024, and sits on the Executive Committee of Aviva.  

Mark joined Aviva Investors in 2014 and was appointed CEO in January 2021, having previously been Chief Investment Officer for Aviva Investors Private Markets business. 

Mark sits on the Board of the Investment Association having previously been on its Investment Committee and having chaired its Sustainability and Responsible Investment Committee.    

He is a member of the Investor & Issuer Forum with a remit to enhance UK market effectiveness and he chairs the Advisory Council of the Kings Business School in London.  He sits on the UK government’s Net Zero Council and the Transition Finance Council.  

Mark is a qualified Actuary and has a Mathematics degree from Cambridge University.