UK Private Capital has convened two expert panels bringing together senior leaders from across the pensions and private capital industries:
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The Pensions & Private Capital Defined Contribution (DC) Expert Panel
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The Pensions & Private Capital Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) Expert Panel
The Expert Panels provide a structured forum for cross‑industry engagement, enabling knowledge‑sharing, policy and market updates, and monitoring progress across the current pensions reform agenda. Through this work, UK Private Capital is fostering collaboration between industries to address industry and policy challenges and to support progress on the Government’s Mansion House reforms.
Defined Contribution: Pensions & Private Capital Expert Panel
The DC Expert Panel brings together representatives from the DC pensions landscape and the private capital industry to consider issues ensuring a broad and senior level perspective on policy development and implementation.
Panel Chair
Ben Wilkinson
Ben Wilkinson was appointed CEO of Molten Ventures in October 2024, having joined the Group as CFO in 2016 and the Board in June 2019.
As CFO, he joined the Investment Committee and led on strategic projects across the business. Ben successfully built Molten’s balance sheet through equity and debt financing, broadening the shareholder register, and led Molten's transition to the Main Market. His efforts were pivotal to the Company's scale and resilience during a period of extensive growth and transformation, including multiple secondary portfolio investments.
Before joining Molten, Ben served as CFO for five years at AIM-listed President Energy PLC. Earlier in his career, he worked in M&A investment banking at ABN Amro/RBS, gaining significant cross-border transaction and corporate financing experience.
Ben is a Chartered Accountant (FCA) with a BSc in Economics from Royal Holloway, University of London. He also serves as a member of Molten's Sustainability Committee.
Panel Members
Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS): Pensions & Private Capital Expert Panel
The LGPS Expert Panel brings together senior representatives from the Local Government Pension Scheme and private capital industries. The panel provides a forum to consider issues relating to LGPS pools and their interaction with private capital markets.
Panel Chair
Rob Barr
Rob Barr is a Retired Partner and former Head of Investor Relations for the EMEA at Pantheon. He was responsible for the overall leadership of the Investor Relations team across EMEA. In addition, he has been heavily involved in all aspects of the development and distribution of products for the private wealth and defined contribution markets. Before joining Pantheon, Rob was a Director at Deutsche Asset Management and prior to this worked in private equity for Morgan Grenfell Development Capital.
Rob qualified as a Chartered Accountant (ICAS) with Ernst & Young, having previously worked in industry for Johnson Matthey. He received a bachelor’s degree from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.
Panel Members
Core Objectives
The Expert Panel will be tasked to:
- Build relationships and represent the key stakeholders from the private capital and pensions industries and foster the constructive working relationships necessary to deliver the desired outcomes from the Mansion House Accord and the Investment Compact for Venture Capital & Growth Equity.
- Oversee the project work required to ensure that the Accords desired outcomes are advanced as far as possible in the next year and that, through regular public reporting, there is accountability to industry and external stakeholders (including HM Treasury and the Pensions Regulator).
- Agree the key structural, technical and other issues which must be addressed to deliver the Mansion House Agenda’s desired outcomes and approve the high-level project plan and workstreams of the working group to support the work of the Expert Panel.
- Engage appropriately (either directly or through the two Expert Panels) to improve the level of understanding between the private capital and pensions industries and foster a greater understanding of the role of venture capital and growth equity in delivering returns for beneficiaries; liaise with the City of London Corporation and others responsible for the delivery of the Mansion House Accord to ensure the objectives and related work are complementary and focused on shared outcomes.
Identifying Solutions
The Expert Panels will focus on identifying solutions to the key structural, technical and wider issues that currently prove a barrier to pension fund investment into private capital, and will help steer consideration of practical solutions to support implementation across both the DC and LGPS markets.
Market Updates & Reporting
The Expert Panels will produce annual market updates on investment activity and may provide stakeholders with policy recommendations and cross-industry perspectives on key developments.
Key documents
LGPS Expert Panel
- Pensions and Private Capital LGPS Expert Panel Minutes (November 2025)
- Pensions and Private Capital LGPS Panel Meeting Minutes (February 2026)
DC Expert Panel
- Pensions and Private Capital DC Expert Panel Meeting Minutes (December 2025)
- Pensions and Private Capital DC Expert Panel Meeting Minutes (March 2026)
Expert Panel reports
Read all reports published by the The Pensions & Private Capital Expert Panel, below.
