I can confirm that Lady Judge (Barbara Judge) has been selected to be the next chair of the Pension Protection Fund (PPF). Lady Judge will take over from Mr. Lawrence Churchill from 1 July 2010 and her appointment will last for three years.

Chairing the PPF is a challenging role. Lady Judge, who will join the PPF from the UK Atomic Energy Authority, which she currently chairs, will bring a wide range of financial and management experience from both the public and private sectors.

The PPF is a statutory fund created to protect members of defined-benefit occupational pension schemes by paying compensation if their employer becomes insolvent and the pension scheme is under funded. It provides a safety net for 12 million members of defined benefit pension schemes. The fund is administered by the board of the Pension Protection Fund, a public corporation.