Europe

UK - Fund management bosses expect shareholder activism to grow in the near to medium-term.

UK - Gareth Davies has been appointed head of marketing by third party administration company, Personal Pension Management.

UK - Schemes investing in alternative assets must ensure they are well diversified if they want to reduce risk.

UK - Gartmore Investment Management has gone live with a straight-through-processing solution, HiMessaging, from business solutions provider DST International.

UK - OPRA is hosting an exhibition stand at the third annual Employer Talk roadshow during June and July in a bid to spread its message to employers and advisers.

UK - HSBC has appointed Markus Herrmann as director, fixed income credit research, within its corporate, investment banking and markets business, starting June 2003.

UK - Demand for senior pension management staff is falling as dire economic conditions eat into company budgets.

UK - Govett Investment Management is developing a range of discretionary portfolios for smaller pension schemes.

SCOTLAND - A Bill that would give same-sex and unmarried long-term partners equal pensions rights as married couples has been lodged in the Scottish Parliament.

UK - SEI won six pension fund mandates during the first quarter worth a total of £267m.