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Trustee Boards and Digital Technology

Online meeting management tools have been one of the major growth areas over the last 2 years. The range of offerings now available means that there really is an option to suit every size of scheme and trustee board. Online meeting packs make the trials of emailing an oversized email attachment a thing of the past. Plus, most portals offer an app with the ability to view the pack offline after downloading if no secure wifi is available. However, good meeting pack management is still essential to ensure trustees aren’t overwhelmed by the volume of information. Proactive management of meeting papers, executive summaries and decision trees are all part of the process for a scheme secretary. 

Choosing the right option for you

Some top tips to consider when choosing the best option for your trustee board:

What does it need to do – think about what you need the online portal to do?

  • Will it be just for the trustees to access meeting packs?
  • Is it to also be a library for scheme information?
  • Will it be your replacement for emails regarding decision making, such as member trustee discretion cases?

Consider your secure access needs 

Most, but not all, provide different access levels to be set so you can be in control of who sees what information. This can simplify an audit process where access can be granted to the auditors to collect the required documents directly. Also consider the access rights to file documents, as scheme secretary it is useful to be able to file documents, a right not always granted by in house systems.

Turbo charge your scheme library 

Having your scheme information in a library makes for a seamless onboarding process for new trustees. An added bonus of introducing a new system is the opportunity to spring clean your existing documents ready for upload. However, any online system is only as good as the filing system, not just at the outset but also on an ongoing basis. 

Think about advanced search capabilities

The ability to search for keywords within documents is a useful feature to look back to find x y or z, although it can be quite disconcerting to discover how quickly the years are flying by. Some systems can search through a variety of different images, so scanned documents, PDFs etc are all accessible. 

Think about your data security 

Data security can be enhanced as it is managed from within the portal and there is less risk of sensitive information going astray. However, it is also important to undertake the due diligence of the back office system and the data protection processes in place from cyber-attack. Not just with regards to the loss of data but also the loss of access to information. 

These are just some of the key areas we consider when working with trustees in our role as scheme secretary. What is clear is that online portals can be an important part of good governance and as ever with technology, using them to their full potential is often a work in progress.

Sandra Harvey is a pension scheme secretary with over 20 years’ experience in the pensions industry as a key member of in-house pension teams including GUS, Pearson and GlaxoSmithKline prior to joining Pi Consulting in October 2016. An Associate of the Pensions Management Institute, Sandra has researched the range of trustee portals as part of Pi’s independent analysis of trustee support developments. 

 

If you have any questions or queries about our services, get in touch with our team today.

Have a question?

Contact us on 020 8879 6500 or enquiries@pipg.co.uk

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Tony Wallin

Scheme Secretary

Tony is an experienced pension consultant with over 15 years’ experience in the pension industry. With a background in administration, he managed a portfolio of around 150 schemes within the discontinuance team of Phoenix Life before moving to the Cheviot Trust, a not-for-profit Master Trust. Prior to joining Pi in December 2021, Tony was at Apex Pension Trustees where he provided secretariat support to a number of schemes.

His secretariat experience therefore includes working with professional trustees across a large portfolio of  52 schemes split between Defined           Contributions, Defined Benefits, and Sole Trustee clients. Since joining Pi, he supports professional trustees acting as Sole Trustees as well as providing meeting management, minutes and scheme governance support as part of a core Pi team working with the pension executive of three other large clients. He is passionate about working closely with Trustee Boards to enable them to focus on the strategic elements of the role secure in the knowledge that all operational matters are under control.

Tony gained the Retirement Provisions Certificate (PMI) , in 2019 and is currently studying for his Retirement Provisions Diploma (PMI).

Lorraine Livings

Team Support

Lorraine supports three of our consultancy team with a range of services. This includes diary management, creating trustee meeting packs, assistance with member cases and management of action logs. Her highly collaborative and engaging manner makes her an integral part of any Trustee team.

Her role involves extensive interaction with Trustee Boards, helping them maintain CPD records and general scheme management duties. Lorraine’s background as a PA to directors in the insurance sector means she is well equipped to deal with demanding timescales and her attention to detail is an essential element of her role.

Angela Hills

Project Manager

Angela has over thirty years’ experience in scheme management. Prior to joining Pi Consulting in 2009, as a Group Manager within Mercer she had reporting responsibilities for 4 administration team leaders and up to 40 staff and was also a member of their “Best Practice Group”.

Since joining Pi she has been involved in a variety of project based appointments, including some emergency appointments where she has dealt with complex issues concerning property holdings, non regulated investments and some highly litigious situations. Her project management skills are essential in ensuring the best possible outcomes as efficiently as possible.

Angela therefore combines a practical approach to administration and extensive experience of design and implementation of efficient process delivery. She was a member of one of the Government’s “Speeding up Process” working parties and is a Fellow of the Pensions Management Institute

Anne Lechley

Independent Trustee and Scheme Manager

Anne has worked in the pensions industry for approaching 20 years, initially with a global benefit consultancy where she focused on member communications. On joining Pi Anne was originally focused on providing independent secretariat services and specialist project management for a variety of governance projects, including the design and delivery of trustee assessment programmes.

Anne has recently become an Accredited Trustee through the Association of Professional Pension Trustees and now works closely in delivering a range of Trustee Executive Services, including acting as a shadow trustee as part of Pi’s Sole Trustee governance framework. She continues to provide independent scheme secretary support to major UK pension schemes.

Anne also holds the PMI Certificate in DC Governance.

Chris Baker

Chair of Governance and Compliance Committee

Chris has extensive knowledge of occupational pension schemes with over 15 years of experience in the pensions industry. He provides support to a range of trustee boards including, governance and member engagement programmes. Prior to joining Pi Partnership in 2018, he was secretary to the Trustees at UK Power Networks for four years, where he provided secretarial support to the Company’s two defined benefit pension schemes.

Chris Baker’s background is in benefits administration and he is now an Accredited Trustee through the Association of Professional Pension Trustees. As well as working closely on more complex pension schemes with independent trustees, he also acts as a Shadow Trustee and as Chair of an administration sub-committee.

Elizabeth Debnam

Independent Trustee and Scheme Manager

Since working at Pi, Elizabeth has focussed most of her time developing Pi’s offering in fiduciary management procurement. She also works across Pi’s various other workstreams including trusteeship, governance, and secretariat. Elizabeth enjoys working as part of Pi’s diverse team of pension specialists to address the many challenges faced by DB and DC pension schemes.

Elizabeth is a highly qualified pensions professional with 18 years of industry experience. In previous roles, she has provided advice to both trustees and companies in relation to DB and DC schemes as a benefit consultant, an actuary, an investment consultant, and a fixed income specialist.  

Elizabeth is a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA). She maintains an interest in training and continues to support the IFoA education and CPD processes.

Gill Mitchell

Compliance Officer

Since joining Pi in 2001, Gill has been central to Pi’ s successful operation and growth. Formerly Managing Director, Gill now acts as Company Secretary to the Pi Partnership Board as well as overseeing all of Pi’s compliance procedures. She is a member of the GDPR response team and in her role as Compliance Officer, she is part of the Governance & Compliance Committee (GCC). The GCC reports to the Pi Trustee Board and is instrumental to the oversight and management of our Sole Trustee appointments. Gill is responsible for the delivery of our AAF 02/07 reporting and checking our internal processes meet all required standards – ensuring we deliver the very highest standard of service to our clients is central to her approach to compliance management.

Greg Ireland

Head of Operations

As Pi’s Head of Operations, Greg is a core member of the Executive Management Team, with responsibility for all aspects of Pi’s operational support. His background in IT is fundamental to our approach to data security and he oversees our compliance with Cyber Essentials Plus, including the annual audit undertaken by an independent third party.

As well as operational aspects that underpin the successful delivery of our services to clients, Greg manages the Pi support team and oversees our internal HR requirements to ensure the Pi team are fully supported in their roles. He is a primary point of contact for Pi’s business continuity plans and a member of the GDPR response team.

Huw Davies

Independent Trustee and Scheme Manager

A Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries with over 35 years’ experience in the pensions industry, Huw is an Accredited Trustee through the Association of Professional Pension Trustees. He provides technical support to our independent trustees, acts as a Second Trustee as part of our Sole Trustee governance framework and brings additional input to a range of Pi’s specialist governance projects. 

Prior to joining Pi, in a varied career at Mercer he provided advice to the trustees of both DB and DC schemes as benefit consultant, actuary, and investment consultant. He also acted as a pension trustee on a portfolio of Small Self-Administered Schemes. Huw is a regular contributor of articles and speaker at pension events.

Jenny Croxall

Independent Trustee

Jenny has over 10 years’ experience in the pension industry having qualified as an Actuary in 2008. She graduated from Oxford University in 2001 with an MA in Mathematics and as a Scheme Actuary worked across a wide range of schemes where she was involved in a number of complex funding negotiations and corporate restructures.

Since 2016 Jenny has focused on providing Independent Trustee services and is an Accredited Trustee through the Association of Professional Pension Trustees. Jenny now acts as Chair or Sole Trustee to a portfolio of appointments; her technical background and collaborative manner delivers pragmatic and cost-effective scheme management particularly suited to smaller schemes.

John Cooper

Non- Executive Chair

As Non-Executive Chair of the Pi Partnership Board, John brings a wealth of industry experience to the Board. His governance background coupled with his commercial expertise, has been a key part of our development as a firm.

John was formerly CEO of Employee Benefits at Marsh, before becoming Chief Operating Officer at Alexander Forbes, followed by senior roles at Standard Life and B&CE. 

John Oldland

Independent Trustee

One of the original founders of Pi Partnership, John now focuses on providing independent trusteeship. He is an Accredited Trustee through the Association of Professional Pension Trustees and a key part of John’s role as a trustee is providing strategic guidance and professional leadership to trustee bodies as Chair of Trustees. This strategic focus and experience of the trustee role enable him to provide clear leadership on complex issues and manage advisers appropriately.

John specialises in working with pension schemes faced with complex issues, such as sensitive funding discussions and employer covenant considerations. He has specialist knowledge of working with Non-Associated Multi-Employer Schemes and of working closely with the Pensions Regulator throughout a number of complex funding negotiations for professional partnerships.

John is also a member of the Chartered Insurance Institute.

Julia Tyrrell

Director

Julia is a co-founder and Director of Pi Partnership.  She was previously Chairman of one of the Raising Standard of Pensions Administration working parties that became the Pensions Administration Standards Association (PASA).

She has specialized over the last 10 years in the delivery of scheme buy outs, including in 2017 as scheme secretary to The Former Registered Dockworkers Pension Fund ensuring its successful £725m buyout. Most recently she has acted as project manager to a large scheme buyout overseeing all aspects of the latter stages of the buyout including the various complications arising from GMP equalisation and the various legislative updates.

Lauren Ireland

Consultant

Originally part of the team support, Lauren moved into consultancy at in 2020 as part of her ongoing development. Lauren now provides a range of trustee executive and secretariat support for a number of clients as part of a wider Pi team.

As well as supporting a senior consultant with all aspects of meeting management including sub-committee minutes, Lauren also undertakes all aspects of governance support including a proactive approach to action log oversight and scheme events planning.

Her attention to detail and strong project management skills makes her a vital part of the trustee executive services team. Lauren has developed and maintains a number of complex budget management tools able to integrate with company accounts as required. She is currently studying for the Pension Management Institute Diploma and is a Certified Risk Management Professional.   

Lisa Riordan

Governance Services Lead

Lisa has over twenty-five years of experience in the pensions industry, starting her career in pensions administration before moving into consultancy.  Since joining Pi in 2003 as a senior consultant, Lisa has delivered a range of Trustee Executive Services, including operational reviews and adviser procurement projects. She also acts as an independent scheme secretary to a small portfolio of clients where she is a highly valued member of the Trustee team.

She is responsible for developing our robust research processes and the efficient distribution of knowledge internally and as part of this research, has been involved in numerous meetings with administrators, actuaries and investment consultants from the leading pension service providers.

Lisa’s current focus is on the development of Pi’s risk management proposition, responding to the ongoing demands of the Single Code and the delivery of the ESOG requirements including the value of independent assessment.

Louise Newland

Team Support

Louise primarily supports  three of Pi’s independent trustees with a range of services. This includes diary and general scheme management duties.  She acts as a primary point of contact for reviews of a range of scheme documentation including member communications. Her highly collaborative and engaging manner makes her an integral part of the Pi team.

Prior to joining Pi in July 2021, Louise worked for a manufacturing organisation where her role included contract management and customer relations.

Doug Ross

Independent Trustee

Doug is an accredited professional pensions trustee through the Association of Professional Pension Trustees. He has extensive experience in all aspects of scheme  governance having served as Chair and Board Trustee, as well as Sole Trustee in both the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

A Human Resources professional with considerable skills in people management, Doug has successfully led Trustee Boards through a wide range of activities, driving positive outcomes for members and sponsors whilst negotiating with all parties to find mutually acceptable solutions.

He has developed a significant number of pension communication exercises including the award-winning design and development of an ESG investment strategy in 2019. The multimedia approach to communication led to a 10% increase in new members and was seen to be an important aide to future recruitment by the Employer.

Doug also has significant knowledge and experience in the provision of Healthcare Professional Trustee services. This has ensured a robust service to members and provided significant cash-flow benefits and cost efficiency to the Company.

Lucy Tindal

Senior Consultant

Lucy has over 30 years’ experience of providing secretariat services, trustee executive support and strategic guidance to trustee boards (both DB and DC) and corporate clients. She has a sound basis in leadership, people and business management gained from many years working at a senior level at the House of Commons both as the Head of Pensions and Secretary to the MPs and Ministers Pension Scheme.

At Pi she has delivered a number of key governance projects, including Trustee Board assessments, governance design and implementation, operational reviews and adviser review support for high profile and complex schemes. She delivers Trustee Executive Services to a portfolio of clients, ranging from a full scheme management service to specialist secretariat support to one of the largest UK master trusts.

Lucy is a Certified Risk Management Professional and a member of the Pensions Management Institute.

Lynn Pointon

Independent Trustee

Lynn is an experienced pension professional, having spent over 30 years in the pensions industry and is a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.

Until 2010, Lynn worked as an actuary with a number of large UK consultancies, supporting her clients through significant events such as funding negotiations, scheme mergers, corporate transactions and insolvency situations.

Since 2010, Lynn has focused on her role as a professional trustee, building up a portfolio of Chair and Sole Trustee appointments and is an Accredited Trustee through the Association of Professional Pension Trustees. . Her pragmatic and proportionate approach ensures efficient management of trustee business. She has managed complex projects including scheme mergers, corporate restructurings, liability management exercises and buyout transactions. 

Nav Donovan

Senior Consultant

With over 10 years’ industry experience, Nav now provides Trustee Executive and Secretariat services to Trustee Boards of complex arrangements including a Non- Associated Multi- Employer scheme.  She has worked on a range of operational and strategic issues including liability management, benefits (risk and voluntary), governance matters and reward.

Before joining Pi she was a senior pension associate at Ross Trustees, prior to which she was the UK Pensions Manager to Thales UK covering both their defined Benefit scheme and overseeing the delivery of a suitable solution for auto -enrolment. Her role at Thales included close co-operation with a number of stakeholders, including the Company, Trustees and Unions. A member of the Pension Management Institute,  Nav has used her project management skills to ensure the delivery of a number of complex projects, recognized by industry awards in 2014 and 2015.

Paul Black

Independent Trustee

Paul has worked in the pensions industry for over 30 years, and for the last 4 years as a professional, independent trustee. As well as being a qualified actuary he is an Accredited Trustee through the Association of Professional Pension Trustees

Paul is an experienced Chair as well as acting as co-trustee where his specialist investment knowledge brings additional skills to the Trustee Board. Prior to moving into trusteeship, he was an investment partner with LCP, where he provided investment consulting advice to clients. This included the development of a range of investment strategies for both DC and DB arrangements covering the design of default funds and journey planning, aiming for self-sufficiency or buy-out.

His specialist investment knowledge and actuarial background combined with his experience as a professional trustee enable him to add significant value to the operation of a trustee board. He can support his fellow trustees through complex investment strategies, challenge advisers constructively and help agree on suitable funding objectives for the pension scheme.

Roger Cooper

Head of Trusteeship

Roger is Head of Trusteeship at Pi Trustees and has over thirty-five years of experience in the benefits industry. An Accredited Trustee through the Association of Professional Pension Trustees Roger is also a Fellow of the Pensions Management Institute (PMI), is on the committee of the PMI Trustee Group and a regular speaker at PMI seminars.

Roger now acts as Independent Chair to a portfolio of trustee boards, with both defined benefit and defined contribution sections.  He works with a range of different sectors including the media, logistics, not-for-profit and charitable institutions. His technical expertise, collaborative approach and commercial awareness enable him to deliver a pragmatic, proportionate, and disciplined approach to all his professional, independent trustee appointments.

This includes helping address conflicts of interest, dealing with the impact of mergers and acquisitions, and managing complex valuations.

Ryan Tompson

Technology Support

Ryan joined Pi in August 2021 and provides support for Greg Ireland, as Head of Operations. He maintains the operational infrastructure that enables us to support our clients in a secure and effective manner. This involves ensuring the integrity of our systems, carrying out penetration testing on a regular basis.

His role as a business analyst links the needs of the Pi business with the IT infrastructure to ensure the smooth running and stability of Pi’s systems to support all of our client systems.  The introduction of increased remote working and integration with a number of external systems means that Ryan’s role continues to evolve.

Sandra Harvey

Consultant

Sandra provides a range of scheme secretariat trustee board services. She has over 20 years’ experience in the pensions industry as a key member of in-house pension teams including GUS, Pearson and GlaxoSmithKline prior to joining Pi Consulting in October 2016.

In her role as pension scheme secretary, she has been involved in the design of governance procedures and protocols as well as the implementation of risk management frameworks. Sandra provides specialist secretarial support for main boards and a range of committees designed to cover a number of complex scenarios. She is also experienced in the use of web-based documentation and governance systems.

Sandra is an Associate of the Pensions Management Institute (PMI) and has a Degree in Mathematics with Theoretical Physics. She also holds PMI Pension Trusteeship Award and Certificate. 

Sarah Jeffrey-Gray

Independent Trustee

Sarah has acted as an independent trustee for over 20 years where her legal background and pragmatic approach has made her a highly valued Chair of Trustees to a number of pension arrangements. She has expertise with DB, DC, and Death in Service Master Trusts and has acted either as Chair or Sole trustee to over 60 schemes in her time as a pension scheme trustee.

Sarah is an Accredited Trustee through the Association of Professional Pension Trustees and after graduating in law from Cambridge University was initially engaged as a corporate lawyer, Sarah later specialised in pensions and trusteeship. This included developing an independent pension scheme trustee practice, through the associated corporate trustee practice owned by Burges Salmon LLP.

Sarah now acts as Trustee to a portfolio of clients; she regularly works with the charity and not-for-profits sectors. She has a detailed understanding of the demands of this sector and is also a trustee of a Charity in a personal capacity. Sarah has also been involved with specialist trustee training and board effectiveness reviews. Until ceasing to practice as a solicitor in early 2016, she was a full member of the Association of Pensions Lawyers.

Sarah Marshall

Independent Trustee

Sarah graduated from Oxford University in 2007 with a Master’s in Mathematics and qualified as an Actuary in 2011. Sarah now focuses on providing Independent Trustee services and acts as Trustee on several Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution schemes. Her combination of technical knowledge with a clear and concise manner adds value to a trustee board. She is frequently appointed as a sole trustee and has extensive experience in streamlined scheme management and working closely with the employer in this role. She has also developed member engagement programmes for Defined Contribution schemes, including holding Q & A sessions with the membership and increasing the visibility of the trustee role.

As well as being a member of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, Sarah Marshall is an Accredited Trustee through the Association of Professional Pension Trustees where she was previously a council member with responsibility for finance.

Dr Dermot ’Skip’ McMullan

Independent Trustee

Skip has been a trustee for over 25 years and as an independent trustee for over 15 years. He is an Accredited Trustee through the Association of Professional Pension Trustees and his appointments include Independent Chair of Trustees for the Bank of America UK scheme (DB and DC), Trustee Director of the Bank of America Merrill Lynch UK scheme and recently retired from the Board of the London Pension Fund Authority (LPFA), which delivers local government pension scheme (LGPS) administration services and manages assets on behalf of Greater London Authority (GLA) and some 230 other employers.

As well as having extensive experience working with DB pension schemes, Skip is Chair of Trustees for one of the largest DC pension schemes in the UK and is at the forefront of developments in DC governance standards, member communication, and investment design. His expertise in this area has been recognised by the investment strategy of the year awards from ‘Engaged Investor’. Skip has a background in finance and brings a robust risk management approach to trustee boards, including an understanding of counterparty and financing risk.

Sue Shanahan

HR Support

Sue joined Pi in November 2019, having previously been PA to a Managing Director in the commercial sector. Her role is now focused on providing support to Greg Ireland, as Head of Operations. This includes diary management, support for the Executive Management Team and general office management duties.

Sue also deals with Pi’s HR requirements where her warm and engaging manner helps support the Pi team.

Susan Smith

Senior Consultant

Susan has over thirty years’ experience in the pensions industry, working in benefits consulting, administration, secretariat services, and pensions management. She now provides Trustee Executive Services to a number of trustee boards as well as delivering a number of key governance projects, including Trustee Board assessments, governance design and implementation, operational reviews and adviser review support for high profile and complex schemes.

Prior to joining Pi in 2011, Susan worked in a variety of roles within Mercer, undertaking various management duties. She worked with a range of trustee boards, employers, and advisers in helping to establish appropriate and proportionate governance frameworks.

A prominent member of the pensions industry, she is a Fellow and previous Council Member of the Pensions Management Institute (PMI), for whom she is a regular speaker.

Tim Sansom

Trustee Support

Tim has over 30 years’ experience in the pensions industry with an extensive knowledge of both defined benefit and defined contribution arrangements.  A technical analyst he has managed a number of pensions teams and been responsible for the successful delivery of a range of complex projects. Most recently he has overseen a GMP equalisation project and designed, implemented and overseen the processes and procedures that enabled c350 group schemes to bulk surrender over £300m of funds from Utmost Life and Pensions over  a six month period. 

Having spent a significant time with Equitable Life, Tim has a strong understanding of the pensions business provided by insurance companies and has over 8 years’ experience as a Pension Trustee for a large Defined Contribution scheme.  

Tom Davies

Consultant

Tom is an experienced pensions professional who combines his technical knowledge with a practical approach to managing pension schemes. APMI certified, Tom started his pension career in pensions administration before moving into consultancy. He has worked with a number of clients where he has provided a range of services all of which have been designed to offer robust governance and ensure Trustees are secure in the knowledge that their pension scheme is being managed effectively.

Tom’s attention to detail and technical background means he’s able to provide scheme secretary services and project management support to Trustee Boards as required. His approachable manner and enthusiasm for delivering a quality service makes him a valued member of the team.

Amanda Burden

Director

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.