Sapna Shah appointed chair of the AIC
Alison Jefferis elected to the board, Stephanie Coxon and Cathy Pitt re-elected.
The Association of Investment Companies (AIC) has appointed Sapna Shah Chair of the AIC. The appointment took immediate effect following the AIC’s annual general meeting.
The membership of the AIC elected Alison Jefferis to join the board as non-executive director. Stephanie Coxon and Cathy Pitt have been re-elected as non-executive directors.
Gay Collins and Francesca Ecsery (former Chair of the Remuneration Committee) have both retired from the board after six years of service.
It’s an honour to have been appointed Chair of the AIC, having been an investment banker for over 20 years and more recently a non-executive director of investment companies.
Sapna Shah, chair of the AIC
Sapna Shah, Chair of the Association of Investment Companies (AIC), said: “It’s an honour to have been appointed Chair of the AIC, having been an investment banker for over 20 years and more recently a non-executive director of investment companies. I look forward to working with the AIC board to continue raising the profile of investment companies and being a strong voice for the sector.
“I would like to congratulate and warmly welcome Alison Jefferis on her appointment. Alison brings extensive marketing and investment communications experience to the board. This will be invaluable to the AIC’s membership and I very much look forward to working with her.
“As Gordon Humphries steps down as Chair of the AIC, I would like to thank him for the invaluable enthusiasm and vigour he has brought to the role. I look forward to continuing to work with him on the board.
“I would like to extend my appreciation to Francesca Ecsery and Gay Collins for their significant contribution to the AIC and long-standing dedication to the investment trust industry.”
Alison Jefferis, Non-Executive Director of the Association of Investment Companies (AIC), said: “As an experienced non-executive director and senior investment specialist in marketing, communications and stakeholder engagement, I am well placed to champion the AIC and the investment trust industry. I am honoured to join the board and look forward to ensuring investment trusts remain relevant and continue to deliver for all investors.”
Sapna Shah joined the AIC board in 2021, was appointed Deputy Chair in January 2024, and is a member of the Remuneration Committee. She is a Senior Adviser at Panmure Liberum, having previously been Co-Head of the investment companies team where she was responsible for providing fundraising, corporate finance and corporate broking advice to investment company boards and fund managers. Prior to this, she held senior roles at Cenkos Securities and Stifel after beginning her career with UBS. She is non-executive director of BioPharma Credit, Pantheon Infrastructure and BlackRock Greater Europe Investment Trust and senior independent non-executive director of Supermarket Income REIT.
Alison Jefferis is a non-executive director of JPMorgan Emerging Markets Growth & Income. She was previously at Columbia Threadneedle Investments from 2010 to 2022, having held a number of senior roles including Head of Corporate Affairs. Prior to this, Alison was Head of Strategic Communications Coordination at HM Treasury and provided strategic guidance and support to cabinet members and senior ministers on the communication of economic policy and initiatives in response to the financial crisis. Alison spent 15 years with Macquarie Group in Australia and Europe.
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Notes to editors
- The Association of Investment Companies (AIC) represents a broad range of investment trusts and VCTs, collectively known as investment companies. The AIC’s vision is for closed-ended investment companies to be understood and considered by every investor. The AIC has 278 members and the industry has total assets of approximately £266 billion.
- For more information about the AIC and investment trusts, visit the AIC’s website.
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