Personality of the year

This award (voted for by our readers) aims to recognise those individuals that have truly made their mark in the European pensions space in recent years. The winner will be announced at the European Pensions Awards gala dinner on 4 July 2024 at the London Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square. Book your table here.

Voting is now closed. 

European Pensions Personality of the year 2024: meet the candidates

Evalinde Eelens, MSc MBA FRM CAIA
Evalinde Eelens is the Founder of Ravenna Consulting (founded in 2018), a proprietorship established to provide truly independent pension trustee board members or related consultancy. Evalinde also holds influential positions on four prominent Dutch boards, overseeing assets under management exceeding EUR 20 billion. She has been an Executive Board member (since August 2018) of a Dutch Private Security Industrywide Pension Scheme; a Non-executive Board member (since August 2018) of the Dutch Painters’ Industrywide Pension Scheme; an Advisory Board member (since November 2022) of Financial Investigator magazine; and a Supervisory Board member (since July 2023) of the Robeco Pension Fund. Additionally, her role at UK-based Muse Advisory underscores her commitment to excellence in investment governance on an international scale. Evalinde’s entrepreneurial journey, founding Ravenna Consulting, mirrors her drive to elevate investment expertise and foster diverse leadership representation. This embodies her commitment to catalysing positive change in the industry. Her innovative spirit shines through in her pioneering efforts to integrate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into pension strategies. Her recent collaboration in co-designing a comprehensive ESG risk management cycle underscores her commitment to sustainable investment practices, setting new benchmarks for responsible investing and risk management. Her long-term vision is exemplified by her dedication to optimizing trustee board decision making processes. Her groundbreaking thesis on boardroom diversity has garnered international acclaim, advocating for increased diversity to enhance boardroom dynamics and policy outcomes. Beyond her professional accomplishments, Evalinde actively empowers women and inspires the next generation of institutional investors through lectures and advocacy efforts.

Pat Sharman, Co-founder, Everyone Matters
“Everyone Matters” is not just a name but a mission statement for Pat. The not-for-profit organisation is dedicated to fostering environments where all individuals can thrive, underscored by the belief that greater equality, diversity and inclusion within financial services can catalyse positive cultural shifts, lead to successful organisations and accelerate solutions to climate change and biodiversity loss. Pat’s initiatives aim to create a more inclusive, equitable industry where every person feels valued, respected, and integral to collective success. She feels this is particularly important for the pension industry and its service providers, as we have to ensure that we succeed for the benefit of members. In recent years, Pat has been a champion of promoting the benefits of more inclusive teams, environmental stewardship, and social inclusion into financial services. Her extensive experience in developing innovative solutions for pension schemes, banking and asset servicing a commitment to sustainable governance and a deeply rooted passion for understanding diverse personalities and cognitive skills, has culminated in her starting Everyone Matters in 2023, a not-for-profit advocacy group for the financial services industry open to everyone.Pat is now working towards change in broader financial services sector. She challenges conventional wisdom by advocating for a shift in how diversity is considered, urging for an approach that rethinks how diversity needs to evolve, and making a link between fully inclusive teams, alongside supportive happy cultures, that drive creative and critical thinking, and ultimately business performance. She believes that pension schemes will become more successful in delivering successful member outcomes if we can change the current mindset.

Dr. Daniel Summerfield, Director of ESG and UK Client Services, Pomerantz
Pomerantz’s Director of ESG and UK Client Services, Dr. Daniel Summerfield, is a leading voice in the field of sustainability regulation and best practice and guides the Firm’s thought leadership in the European pension sphere. Daniel joined Pomerantz in October 2022 after 20 years at the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS). Most recently Daniel was Head of Corporate Affairs of USS following a period of 16 years as Head of Responsible Investment. Daniel has considerable experience working with senior policy makers, regulators and captains of industry at a global level. His wealth of professional experience as a pensions, investment and public affairs professional with a strong background in ESG and sustainability, stewardship and engagement, reputation management and stakeholder relationships has transformed Pomerantz. Bolstering the Firm’s continued commitment to representing defrauded shareholders across the globe, Daniel helped Pomerantz open an office in London in 2022. This marks Pomerantz’s third international location.Daniel co-managesthe London office with Pomerantz Partner and Head of Client Services Jennifer Pafiti. Since opening the London office, Daniel and Jennifer have signed several prominent UK pension funds as clients. Daniel is frequently invited to speak at conferences and seminars worldwide and to contribute thought pieces to publications. His recent work has focused on the ways pension funds can use securities litigation to take a more active role in corporate engagement and encourage companies to address ESG concerns and initiate corporate governance reform. Daniel shares his expertise on the global ESG landscape by hosting Pomerantz-sponsored events in the UK and beyond.