United Kingdom

UK - Universities Superannuation Scheme chief investment officer ROGER GRAY gives SEBASTIAN CHEEK an overview of the scheme's investment strategy

US/UK - Russell Investments has appointed Len Brennan as president and chief executive, and as a director on the company's board.

UK/NETHERLANDS - Aegon is to rebrand its UK asset management arm as Kames Capital.

UK - Trustees of Uniq's pension scheme - which owns 90% of its sponsor - have agreed to sell the sandwich maker for £113m ($178m) to Greencore.

UK - Investors should stock their portfolio with 5% gold in order to best overcome the effects of both inflation and deflation, according to new research by Oxford Economics. World Gold Council.

UK - Companies are needlessly paying £5bn ($8bn) into defined benefit pension schemes because their funding targets are more than 10% higher than necessary, PwC research finds.

UK - The £4.1bn ($6.5bn) London Pension Fund Authority (LPFA) has awarded Dutch fund manager Robeco its first UK contract to oversee its shareholder voting and corporate engagement.

BlackRock hires NEST's Gilbody; Aviva Investors; Liongate; Municipal Fire and Police Retirement System of Iowa; Ignis; HSBC Asset Management; Towers Watson; Acadian; Cardano; LGIM; Mercer

UK - Lothian Pension Fund has gone out to tender for two investment advisers to sit on its Investment Strategy Panel following the expiration of the current adviser contracts.

UK - Large-scale, collective private sector schemes should be set up in competition to NEST - allowing companies to offer DC without running their own scheme, the incoming chairman of the National Association of Pension Funds says.