New entrants fail to make their mark; Acquiring companies ought to be reliable pension guarantors; De La Rue staff can bank on pensions; Investors lobby City for vote on ABN bids

UK - The Highland Pension Fund has appointed Hymans Robertson to provide investment advice and consultancy services.

US - The Teacher Retirement System of the State of Illinois (TRS) has appointed two new senior investment officers.

UK - The Investment Management Association (IMA) has appointed Robert Jenkins of F&C Asset Management as chairman.

MORE then half of independent financial advisors in the UK are unsure how Financial Services Authority regulation affects self-invested personal pensions, a survey by Merchant Investors shows.

UK - Aon Consulting has been busy recruiting after it lost its head of defined contribution (DC), Paul Macro, who has jumped ship to join rival Watson Wyatt.

CANADA - Public plans in Canada now possess the S factor: growing scale, imposing sophistication and the ability to attract smart professionals, according to Franklin Templeton Institutional.

US - The Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) has ditched Ennis Knupp & Associates who had been its consultant for six years in favour of Mercer Investment Consulting.

WATSON Wyatt has appointed Paul Macro as a senior consultant in its defined contribution consulting team.

AEGON Scottish Equitable has added a member trade option to its group self-invested personal pension giving members more flexibility.