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Unilever UK Pension Fund
The Unilever UK Pension Fund was established in 1999 to deliver pensions and benefits to Unilever employees and their families. Virginia Holmes serves as...
Unilever UK Pension Fund
The Unilever UK Pension Fund was established in 1999 to deliver pensions and benefits to Unilever employees and their families. Virginia Holmes serves as independent chair of the trustee board. The fund is sponsored by Unilever PLC. The fund holds a 9.98% allocation to private equity. It maintains direct and indirect positions in real estate through the HLV Property Portfolio and Aberdeen European Balanced Property Fund. Infrastructure equity sits inside the Long-term Inflation Target Fund. Private debt and sustainable impact opportunities complete the mix. Holdings span the United Kingdom and global markets. Assets total $10.6 billion. The fund uses Univest Company B.V. as in-house investment advisor. Additional service providers include Northern Trust as custodian and Capita as administrator. In September 2024 the fund participated as speaker at the BVCA UK Pensions Summit. The fund operates under a defined benefit and defined contribution structure with Univest pooled vehicles handling the majority of DB assets. Governance separates the trustee board from the corporate sponsor while maintaining close coordination on funding and investment policy.
General information
Firm type
Private Sector Pension Fund
Year founded
1999
Location
Region
Europe
Country
United Kingdom
City
Leatherhead
Corporate office
Unilever House Springfield Drive, Leatherhead, Surrey, United Kingdom
Principals
Virginia Holmes
Independent Chair of the Trustee Board
Robert Hayes Brown
Chief Investment Officer of Univest Company B.V.
Andy Rowell
Chief Executive of Univest Company B.V.
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Unilever UK Pension Fund?
Virginia Holmes chairs the trustee board. Univest Company B.V. acts as in-house investment advisor with Robert Hayes Brown as CIO.
Does Unilever UK Pension Fund participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
The fund commits to private equity, venture and real estate funds. It also holds direct property and infrastructure assets.
What investment stages does Unilever UK Pension Fund typically target?
The fund targets buyout, growth, venture and secondaries strategies with a 10- to 20-year investment horizon.
Where does the underlying wealth come from?
The fund exists to meet pension obligations of Unilever PLC for its UK workforce.
How is Unilever UK Pension Fund related to Unilever PLC?
Unilever PLC is the principal employer and sponsor of the fund.
Does Unilever UK Pension Fund maintain philanthropic structures?
The fund itself does not; Unilever Ghana Foundation handles separate corporate giving.
What is Unilever UK Pension Fund's known posture on co-investments alongside external GPs?
The fund invests through external managers in private equity and venture capital funds rather than direct co-investments.
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