EUROPE - SEB has opened an office in Warsaw and also appointed Ulf Grunnesjö head of investor relations.

EMPLOYERS should be awarded a good workplace pensions quality mark if they provide benefits superior to the national pensions savings scheme, the National Association of Pension Funds says.

GEOFF MELLOR is set to join Coal Pension Trustees Services as chief executive officer designate in 2007.

GLOBAL - Gartmore today announced the completion of its MBO from Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, backed by private equity firm Hellman & Friedman (H&F).

BLACKROCK has completed its takeover of Merrill Lynch Investment Managers creating an asset management firm with assets under management of $1046bn (£559bn).

HELLMAN & FRIEDMAN has completed its management buyout of Gartmore Investment Management from Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.

US - The new bill passed last week on Sudanese investment won't necessarily require California's two largest pension funds to sell off their Sudan-related holdings, the National Association of State Retirement Administrators (NASRA) has claimed.

DENMARK - The prevalent use of interest rate swaps to hedge future liabilities is set to continue among Danish pension funds, industry players in the country have said.

THE PENSIONS Advisory Service is set to launch a national pensions helpline for small business owners and the self-employed.

CONSULTANT Jardine Lloyd Thompson has launched a new financial advice service in a bid to help higher earners manage their investments.