About The Asset Owner Council (AOC)

Collaboration details

The AOC is group of asset owners, convened under their own initiative, and focussed on responsible investment. The AOC maintains links with the UK Stewardship Regulators Group. Members of the UK Stewardship Regulators Group act as a sounding board for AOC initiatives. The AOC was formed in 2024 as a result of a merger between the Occupational Pensions Stewardship Council (convened by the Department for Work and Pensions, secretariat: Share Action), and the UK Pension Scheme Responsible Investment (RI) Roundtable (secretariat: PRI).

Current co-Chairs: Claire Curtin, Head of ESG and Sustainability, Pension Protection Fund & Renata Kostrzewa, Head of Responsible Investment, BP Pension Fund. Current Secretariat: PRI UK RI Ecosystems team

Objectives

The AOC’s purpose is to create a forum for:

Sharing best practice on investor stewardship and responsible investment implementation
Engaging with regulators/government in a coordinated way
Encouraging high standards of stewardship and collaboration among asset owners (including offering practical support for smaller asset owners)
Encouraging open and honest discussion among practitioners.

Membership

Membership is open to asset owners based in the United Kingdom (we generally consider an asset owner to be a pension scheme, endowment, family office or other institutional investor, at the discretion of the Chair).Asset owners based outside of the UK would be welcome and may be admitted as members at the discretion of the Chair.

By joining Members consent to their institution being publicly listed as a member of the AOC.

It is expected that member organisations are represented by a senior practitioner (e.g. a ‘Head of Responsible Investment’, ‘Stewardship Manager’ or equivalent), though there may be occasions or circumstances where more senior (executive or non-executive) representation is appropriate.

The Terms of Reference are included below.

If you wish to join please contact AOC Secretariat at assetownercouncil@unpri.org to check eligibility before you register and join the group on this platform.

Terms of reference

AOC Terms of Reference. Private and Confidential.pdf Download