Coats, the leading name is industrial thread and consumer textile crafts business, has announced appointment of John Lovell in the newly created role of Group Pensions Director. John will be responsible for overseeing the Coats’ pension schemes worldwide and GPG’s UK pension schemes. Based out of Coats’ head office at Stockley Park in West London, he would commence work from March 2, 2015. He joins from J Sainsbury, where he was assigned the role of Head of Pensions.

The role includes developing the pension strategy for Coats and GPG and working closely with the trustees of the various schemes to ensure its delivery. He will report into Richard Howes, Chief Financial Officer of the company. The principal Coats pension plan is in the UK and GPG also has two UK pension plans. There are also a number of other Coats plans in countries across the world with the US plan.

Before his role at J Sainsbury, Lovell was Director of UK Pensions at Lafarge UK, the building materials company, and UK Pensions Manager at National Grid. He has also worked at Grant Thornton and Pension Development Manager at Italian insurance company, Generali. He started his career at Friends Provident Life Office (now Friends Life).

www.coats.com