The latest hires, promotions and appointments for the week ending 3 May 2024.
The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA)’s director of policy and advocacy, Nigel Peaple, is moving to a part-time position with the trade association at the end of August.
Peaple – who has worked at the PLSA for 13 years across two spells – is to become the association’s chief policy counsel.
The PLSA said the new role would see Peaple provide policy advice to senior staff as well as taking on an advocacy role in the run-up to the general election.
Chief executive Julian Mund said: “During two stints at the PLSA, Nigel has served us, and our members, with dedication for 13 years. He has made an immeasurable contribution to developing pensions policy during that time.
“On one hand, we will miss the energy and commitment Nigel brings to his day-to-day duties, but on the other, I am very pleased that he has agreed to stay on in an advisory role in a pivotal year for pensions.”
PLSA adds 17 to policy committees
Meanwhile, the PLSA has made a series of appointments to its four policy committees with some members ending their tenures.
New members of the committee for defined benefit policy include:
David Lane, chief executive, TPT Retirement Solutions
Stephen Graham, head of operations, Plumbing Pensions
Philippa Connaughton, partner at Sackers
Richard Williams, head of corporate communications and external relations at the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS)
New members of the defined contribution (DC) committee are:
Sarah Long, head of new business at Wealth at Work
Craig Monahan, Standard Life’s head of workplace business-to-business proposition
Fiona Brown, group head of pensions and benefits at Rolls-Royce
Kingfisher pensions director James Chemirmir
For the local authority committee, new members are:
George Graham, head of paid service at the South Yorkshire Pensions Authority
Nick Buckland, head of pensions and treasury at Kent Pension Fund
Sian Kunert, head of pensions at East Sussex Pension Fund
Rachel Wood, pension strategist at West Sussex County Council
Sean Greene, head of fund at Lancashire County Council
Finally, the master trust committee has been bolstered by the appointments of:
USS head of strategy and insight Dean Blower
Lousie Williamson, head of the Aviva Master Trust
Suzanne Rose, UK DC leader at Mercer
Steve Watson, director of policy and research at Cushon
TPR appoints COO and digital executive
The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has appointed a new chief operating officer (COO) and a permanent executive director of digital, data and technology. Both are also joining the regulator’s board of directors.
Andrew Baigent joins from HM Courts and Tribunals Service where he was chief financial officer, and will take up the COO role from 4 June.
Paul Neville has been interim executive director of digital, data and technology since October 2023, and is to take on the role permanently, the regulator said.
The appointments come as TPR is undergoing structural changes designed to reflect the changing nature of the UK’s pensions landscape.
Vidett adds four including professional trustee
Professional trustee firm Vidett has hired Mike Birch from the Pensions Regulator (TPR) as a client director.
In his new role, Birch works as a professional trustee, primarily on defined benefit (DB) schemes with employers experiencing distress or undergoing corporate transactions. At TPR he established and led the regulator’s supervision directorate.
Vidett has also hired Bobby Dillon as a manager in its Reading office, Cat Lowe as senior business development executive, and Julia Palmer as a manager in its Birmingham office. They have joined from Barnett Waddingham, Shoosmiths and Hymans Robertson respectively.
Arc hires senior associate
Archana Gupta has joined specialist pensions law firm Arc Pensions Law as a senior associate.
She joins from Squire Patton Boggs, and has worked in pension law for 12 years. Gupta specialises in advising on scheme mergers, buy-in and buyout transactions, guaranteed minimum pension (GMP) equalisation, and problematic transfers.
Grant Thornton’s Hartley to lead covenant adviser association
Luke Hartley, partner and head of pensions advisory at Grant Thornton, has been elected as the new chair of the Employer Covenant Practitioners Association (ECPA).
He succeeded Guy Mander of RSM on 1 May, the association announced, having previously been its vice chair. Helena Mules, a senior covenant adviser at WTW, is the ECPA’s new vice chair.
Hartley, who has been involved with the ECPA since its inception in 2012, said: “The Funding and Investment Strategy Regulations 2024 recognise the employer covenant for the first time in legislation, and in conjunction with TPR’s new DB Funding Code and employer covenant guidance, will represent the largest revision to the assessment and interpretation of employer covenant for more than a decade.”
Aon promotes partners within pensions teams
Aon has announced 10 new UK-based partners in its Wealth Solutions arm, focused on pensions. They are:
Lynette Brown, senior leader in Aon’s GMP equalisation team, scheme actuary and a member of Aon’s trustee consulting leadership team
Sarah Butlin, leader on the governance team focused on trustee equity, diversity and inclusion efforts
Hannah Carter, chief of staff for UK investment and member of the UK chief commercial officer’s leadership team
Helen Hatt, is senior member of the international wealth team and leader of Aon’s International Retirement Savings Plan services
Daniel Haxby, senior leader in the risk and modelling team
Colin High, scheme actuary and lead on Aon’s team addressing non-investment issues related to climate change risk
Ross Mitchell, leader in Aon’s investment practice advising clients on investment strategy and management
Derry Pickford, head of asset allocation, advising on more than $4trn (£3.2trn) of assets
Michael Walker, senior member of Aon’s UK Risk Settlement Group
Craig Watson, head of the major, complex and enterprise client group for Aon’s UK investment business
