Pauline Plunkett has been appointed Managing Director, Europe, for L&G’s Asset Management business, taking overall responsibility for the group’s asset management operations across Europe outside the UK.

The appointment, announced on 29 September 2026, comes as L&G’s European asset management business surpasses €100 billion in assets under management on behalf of European clients. Plunkett will be responsible for supporting the continued growth of the business across the region and strengthening its relationships with institutional and wholesale clients.  

Plunkett has been with L&G since 2014 and has held senior roles spanning insurance client relationships, European asset management and the group’s Irish operations. Before her latest appointment, she served as CEO of LGIM Managers (Europe) Limited and Managing Director of Ireland.  

Her promotion comes alongside a wider reshaping of L&G’s European asset management leadership team, as the company expands its presence across continental Europe.

Building a Career in Investment Management

Plunkett joined L&G in March 2014 as Head of Insurance Clients, with responsibility for the firm’s relationships and delivery to insurance clients.

Before joining L&G, she worked as a senior investment consultant and co-lead of the Insurance Investment Advisory Group at Towers Watson, advising clients on governance, investment strategy and implementation. She also previously worked as an investment analyst at Aon Hewitt.  

Her academic background is in financial mathematics and economics. She graduated from the National University of Ireland with a first-class honours degree and is a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.  

At L&G, her responsibilities expanded significantly over the following decade.

In 2023, she was appointed CEO of LGIM Managers (Europe) Limited and Managing Director of Ireland. The role placed her at the centre of L&G’s efforts to strengthen its investment management presence in Dublin and across continental Europe.  

L&G said her work in these roles helped build its presence in Dublin and across the continent, while deepening relationships with institutional and insurance clients.  

A European Business Passing €100 Billion

Plunkett takes on her new position at a time of significant expansion for L&G’s European asset management operation.

The business has surpassed €100 billion in assets under management on behalf of European clients and now operates regional offices in Dublin, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Milan, Stockholm, Zurich and Luxembourg.  

The group’s European offering spans several investment areas, including index strategies, active fixed income, multi-asset and private markets.

L&G has also identified exchange traded funds, or ETFs, as an area supporting growth across several European markets.  

The company recently expanded its European footprint further with the opening of a new office in Luxembourg.

The expansion forms part of a broader international strategy announced by L&G in 2024, when the group outlined plans to invest in and grow its international businesses while creating a simpler and better-connected organisation.  

Strengthening Client Relationships Across Europe

Plunkett’s new role will cover L&G’s asset management activities throughout Europe, excluding the UK.

Her focus will include building on the company’s existing client relationships while identifying opportunities to expand its presence across European markets.

In her statement following the appointment, Plunkett highlighted the scale of the business after it passed €100 billion in European assets under management and pointed to opportunities for further growth.

She will also work with a newly appointed European wholesale leadership team as L&G develops its distribution capabilities across the region.  

Sarah Aitken, Chief Client Officer for Asset Management at L&G, described Plunkett as a trusted leader within the organisation and pointed to her record in Ireland and Europe as a factor behind the appointment.  

Wider Changes to L&G’s European Leadership

Plunkett’s appointment is part of a broader series of changes within L&G’s European asset management leadership.

Giancarlo Sandrin has been appointed Head of Wholesale, Europe, having previously served as Deputy Head of Wholesale, Europe. Philipp Koenigsmarck has moved into the Deputy Head of Wholesale, Europe position.

Patrik Hanser, previously Head of Wholesale Distribution for Germany and Austria, has taken on a newly created role as Head of Digital Distribution, Europe.  

The changes are designed to strengthen L&G’s European leadership structure as the business develops its institutional, wholesale and digital distribution activities.

For Plunkett, the appointment also represents a move from a national leadership role in Ireland to responsibility for a much broader regional operation.

From Ireland to European Leadership

Plunkett’s career at L&G illustrates the progression from specialist client and investment responsibilities to broader regional leadership.

Her work with insurance clients gave her experience working with institutional investors and understanding their investment requirements. Her later leadership of L&G’s European entity and Irish business placed her closer to the company’s wider European expansion strategy.

The new position brings those experiences together.

She will now oversee an asset management operation serving clients across multiple European markets, with L&G continuing to invest in its regional infrastructure and distribution capabilities.

L&G itself manages £1.2 trillion in assets globally as of the first half of 2026, with approximately 44 per cent, or around £0.5 trillion, of those assets classified as international.  

The European business represents one part of that wider international operation.

The Next Phase

Plunkett begins her new role as L&G continues to expand its European presence and develop its asset management business across both public and private markets.

Her immediate challenge will be to build on the momentum already established across the region while maintaining relationships with institutional and wholesale clients and developing new opportunities.

For Plunkett, the appointment marks another step in a career that has combined actuarial training, investment consulting, institutional client management and senior leadership.

For L&G, it places an experienced internal leader at the centre of its European asset management strategy at a time when the business has passed €100 billion in regional assets under management.