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Lisa Riordan Reflects on 20 Years (and counting) at Pi Partnership

Last year I reached the landmark of having been at Pi Partnership for 20 years. It was a firm of three people when I joined – John Oldland, Julia Tyrrell and Gill Mitchell. I was employee number 4! It was the same year that Federer first won Wimbledon, there was a Labour Prime Minister and England became rugby world champions.

Plus ça change…

20 years later, we have over 60 people in the Pi team, we again have a Labour Prime Minister and I’m making no comment about any sporting organisations. Meanwhile at Pi, we have also seen a number of changes:

  • We became an employee-owned organisation in 2011.
  • We moved from Wimbledon Village to Wimbledon town centre – and whilst I miss being in Wimbledon Village, I don’t miss the walk up the hill, nor the sandwich prices!
  • We have made three acquisitions, each of which has increased our geographical range and brought new people into the team.
  • People have joined, people have retired/left, some people have come back(!), and the Pi team has adapted as new people brought their ideas and commitment to the Company.

Plus of course the pension industry has seen so many changes over the last 20 years, not least the continuing closure of DB schemes, the growth of Master Trusts, auto enrolment and now the return of surpluses.

Lisa Riordan celebrating 20 years at Pi Partnership Group

… plus c’est la même chose

Yet in the midst of so much change, some things have stayed very much the same. The Pi culture hasn’t wavered and is made up of:

  • People who enjoy being part of a team, able and willing to share ideas and help everyone thrive. People who are confident in their ability to make a difference – this is a mix of people who have lots of experience in the pensions industry, who have the confidence to share their own views and take responsibility for their own work and also less experienced people, who are keen to learn from the many experienced people at Pi, to gain that confidence.
  • People who are forward thinkers and modern in their approach – I have been hybrid working since I joined Pi and casual wear at work was standard. We were one of first companies to introduce a Trustee portal to provide trustees with a secure means of storing scheme information with their own controls, and we are currently looking at the benefits AI can bring to our clients.
  • People who ultimately make sure they get the job done for our clients – it is no good being confident or modern if you aren’t effective. So we get the job done, but in a way that also makes us nice people to work with.

Proud to be part of the pensions industry

I recently presented the People award at the PMI Pinnacle Awards and made a short speech on Pi’s behalf. It made me realise that I am proud to be part of the pensions industry, and part of the positive impact it has on the lives of so many people.

In a world that moves fast, and often seems driven by technology and systems, it’s still people who drive progress. Think of all the moments in history – whether it’s a scientist in a lab, a teacher in a classroom, or an activist standing up for change – it is people working together, often with little more than passion and determination, who change the world.

We are not just defined by what we do individually, but by the way we uplift and support each other. Whether through friendship, teamwork or simple acts of kindness, it is the people we meet and the relationships we build that shape our lives.

That is why, although the last 20 years of my time here are Pi have seen a lot of change, it is still working with such a talented and fun team that continues to make it special. And I’m looking forward to the next 20 years!

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We believe in clear and transparent communication and create regular opportunities for internal communication. Our regular business updates and opportunities to input into the business ensures everyone feels part of the team and on the same page at Pi, ensuring our hybrid working model is effective regardless of where you are based.

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Development

Nurturing every Pi Person is important to us and we want to ensure everyone has the opportunity for continued professional development by providing the space to do this alongside client commitments. Everyone has an individual Personal Development Plan catered to them, whether they are on the start of their journey with Pi or those looking at ways to transition into the next stage of their careers.

Everyone has the opportunity for a regular development and progression review and everyone has ownership over their own development with input and guidance of senior member of the team where required.

We provide regular opportunities to share knowledge amongst our teams through Lunch Time Learn in sessions and actively encourage involvement and participation into this.

Culture

Culture

We are an open, friendly and supportive team who thrive in a flexible and autonomous environment. Our people are trusted to get on with things, adding value and individual contribution, whilst maintaining a good work life balance and ideally having fun along the way.

We want to ensure we cultivate our special culture and our focus is to maintain our exceptional engagement levels. We are proud to have been awarded the Sunday Times Best Place to Work for small businesses in 2023 and 2024, and also in 2025 after moving to the medium-sized business category.

Employee Owned

Employee Owned

Our employee ownership structure is central to our philosophy of making sure every Pi Person is part of our success story, contributing to how we run the business, and sharing in the profits. We know that being successful is not just down to numbers, it’s about our people who all contribute in their unique way to our success and creating a working environment where everyone has a voice.

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our team

Amanda Burden

Director and Governance Specialist

Amanda is a Board Director of Pi Partnership Group and leads the development of Pi’s services. She works closely with clients, the Pi team and professional advisers to ensure all of Pi’s services meet the changing needs of the pension market and deliver clear value to Pi’s clients.

Amanda has over twenty-five years’ experience in the pensions industry and, as well as ensuring Pi’s services continue to meet the needs of our clients in a rapidly changing pension landscape, is also a member of Pi’s Executive Management Team. She provides specialist project management for clients on a range of services, including adviser selection and review, trustee board assessment and governance design.

As well as being a Fellow of the Pensions Management Institute (PMI) and Chair of the PMI London Group, Amanda holds PMI certificates in Pensions Automatic Enrolment and DC Governance, was a past Prince2 practitioner and is a Certified Risk Management Practitioner.

What do you most enjoy about your role:  Successfully delivering complex projects and creating a happy team environment.

Interests outside work: Travel, theatre and as part of Abundance London helping create beautiful spaces in urban settings.

Top achievement to date: Competing in the 2005/06 Round the World Clipper race.