Former London Pension Fund Authority investment director Vanessa James dies (Amended)

Vanessa James, the former investment director at the £4.6bn (€5bn) London Pension Fund Authority (LPFA) has died after a long battle against cancer.

Confirming the news, a spokesperson for the fund said that in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Eve Appeal, which helps to fund research and prevention for women-only cancers. There is a just giving page here. RI understands the funeral is being held this week.

Her family wrote: “In the three years that she was ill she was always positive, brave and cheerful, always wanting to look on the bright side, and frequently making deeply inappropriate jokes at her own expense.

“So many people loved her. We want – and she would have wanted – to do something with all that love, something that will mean that fewer people have to suffer as she did.“The Eve Appeal was set up to save women’s lives by funding ground-breaking research focused on developing effective methods of risk prediction, earlier detection and developing screening for gynaecological cancers. Please donate and remember Ness.”

James retired from the LPFA in 2012 after five years and was succeeded by Alex Gracian. She had joined the fund with 28 years experience in the sector, most recently with the then Abbey National Asset Managers.

Last year the LPFA together and the Lancashire County Pension Fund (LCPF) built on a two-year collaboration to launch the Local Pensions Partnership Ltd (LPP) pension pool.