Europe

UK - The Sunderland Area Regeneration Company has snubbed its regional pension authority and opted for the West Midland Metropolitan Authorities Pension Fund to manage its scheme.

UK - The National Association of Pension Funds is making radical changes to its voting system following complaints from smaller schemes, IPN's sister publication Professional Pensions has learned.

UK - The £6.7bn Imperial Chemical Industries ICI Pension Fund has appointed Ashmore Investment Management to run a £60m emerging market debt mandate.

EUROPE - Having more babies is the answer to Europe's impending ageing population crisis.

SCOTLAND - The £400m Highland Council Pension Fund has hired Schroder Property Investment Management to run a £40m property fund-of-funds.

UK - Active Value Investors - a subsidiary of Aberdeen Asset Management - has been taken over in a management buyout.

UK - The £1.2bn Devon County Council Pension Fund has gone out to tender for four index-tracking mandates worth a total of £456m.

UK - The £777m Nationwide Pension Fund has dropped Schroder Investment Management as the manager of over two-thirds of its assets.

UK - Balanced pooled funds soared in value by 12.7% to the end of August, the latest IMAGE survey by HSBC Actuaries and Consultants reveals.

EUROPE - Henderson Global Investors has appointed Gabi Stein as client director from LaSalle Investment Management where she oversaw the marketing of global products to Irish and Swiss institutions.