United Kingdom

UK - Punter Southall has appointed Joanne Livingstone as its 24th principal, reporting to senior principal Elizabeth Battams.

UK - Merrill Lynch Investment Managers co-chairman Carol Galley admitted in court that if the objectives of achieving performance of +1% or -3% set by Unilever were treated equally, it would be impossible to achieve these benchmarks.

UK - Schroder Pensions has launched a new online pensions service, dc-Link, as part of its existing defined contribution (DC) provisions for the corporate market.

UK - Schroder Pensions has added five new funds to its defined contribution (DC) multi-manager platform - three Baillie Gifford funds and two from Morley Fund Management.

UK - Merrill Lynch Investment Managers (MLIM) has taken a blow from the £750m Alliance & Leicester Pension Scheme after losing a £150m UK and global equities mandate on performance grounds.

UK - London-based property consultant Drivers Jonas (DJ) has appointed Nick Shepherd to take over as managing partner

UK - The Leek United Building Society Pension and Assurance Scheme has hired Jardine Lloyd Thompson (JLT) to provide actuarial, consulting and administration services.

UK - The UK's £2.1bn Philips Pension Fund has reinstated Aon Consulting to administer its scheme, including both the final salary and money purchase elements.

UK - Total trading in Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) for September reached a high of £657m - the highest value for the vehicle ever recorded in one month since the £488m mark in June, according to the London Stock Exchange.

UK - The £2.8bn Merseyside Pension Fund is set to tender a passive portfolio worth around £840m following a best value review.