# Essex Pension Fund

Essex Pension Fund is a Pension Fund based in Chelmsford, United Kingdom.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Pension Fund
- **Headquarters:** Chelmsford, United Kingdom
- **Region:** Europe
- **Address:** Chelmsford, Essex, United Kingdom
- **Founded:** 1997
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** essexpensionfund.co.uk

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Essex Pension Fund is a UK-based pension fund that administers the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) for local government employees. It focuses on investments in the agriculture sector, specifically private equity.

## Sectors

- Real Estate
- Infrastructure
- Private Equity
- Private Credit
- Hedge Funds
- Secondaries & Special Situations
- Energy Transition & Renewables

## People

- Jody Evans — Director
- Councillor Susan Barker — Chairman of the Pension Strategy Board and Investment Steering Committee

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at Essex Pension Fund?

Jody Evans serves as Director for the Essex Pension Fund. Councillor Susan Barker chairs the Pension Strategy Board and the Investment Steering Committee, providing member-level governance. Kevin McDonald, the former director, now serves as interim director of the ACCESS Pool, the collective investment vehicle to which Essex contributes.

### How is Essex Pension Fund related to the ACCESS Pool?

Essex is a founding member of the ACCESS Pool — a collaboration of 11 central, eastern, and southern shire LGPS funds that collectively pool roughly £35 billion. The pool was established to reduce investment costs and improve access to illiquid assets. Essex participates in ACCESS mandates across private equity, infrastructure, and private credit strategies.

### What is the fund's posture on responsible investment and stewardship?

Essex has been a signatory to the UK Stewardship Code since 2022, formalizing its commitment to active ownership and transparent reporting. It is a member of the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum, a UK network that coordinates shareholder engagement and corporate governance pressure. The fund's pension board structure ensures fiduciary oversight of ESG integration.

### Does Essex Pension Fund invest directly or primarily through pooled vehicles?

Essex uses a hybrid approach. It maintains direct mandates, such as the CBRE global commercial real estate account and the UK Real Estate Impact Strategy, while also accessing private-markets exposure through its membership in the ACCESS Pool. This gives the fund both bespoke direct relationships and scaled pooled access.

### What investment stages or asset classes does Essex Pension Fund target?

The fund runs a multi-asset institutional portfolio covering public equities, fixed income, real estate, infrastructure, private equity, and hedge funds. Within alternatives, exposure spans both fund commitments and direct mandates. Timberland and carbon-offset allocations suggest a horizon encompassing natural capital as a distinct asset class.

## Related profiles

- [Essex Financial Services](https://altss.com/profile/essex-financial-services-efs)
- [Essex Private Wealth Management](https://altss.com/profile/essex-private-wealth-management)

---

Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/essex-pension-fund

Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology