Current issues in pensions

Mike Clark is Founder Director of Ario Advisory, a responsible investment advisory firm. Working mostly across the finance sector in the UK and elsewhere, Mike’s work focuses on climate and, currently, systemic risk (two types: societal vs financial).

He is a Visiting Fellow at the University of Exeter, and a member of the IFoA Lifelong Learning Risk Committee. One of the authors of the USS/Exeter No Time To Lose narrative climate scenarios, he is also one author of the more recent CMP (Climate Majority Project) set of 3 narrative climate scenarios for insurance.

He views the investment aspects of fiduciary duty through a Risk/Opportunity lens. Pension actuaries might wish to consider the implications of the Great Abandonment scenario, where insurance seems to reside at present, and the implications for their clients’ (and their own!) fiduciary duty.

Director of the Pensions Policy Institute

Chris originally joined the Pensions Policy Institute in 2002 as Research Director, where he managed the research programme and wrote and presented many research reports. These reports analysed pensions (including state, private, and public sector), pension reforms, and other provision for retirement income.

In 2013 Chris became Director of the PPI where he has overall strategic responsibility for the management and operation of the institute. In 2019, he was appointed Principal of the Pensions Dashboard Programme at the Money and Pensions Service. This is on a part-time basis alongside his role at the PPI.

Chris was appointed as one of the three co-chairs for the 2017 Department of Work and Pensions automatic enrolment review. The review considered the success of automatic enrolment and explored ways that the policy could be further developed. Chris led on providing advice on the theme of contribution. He was also a member of the Joint Expert Panel that examined the valuation of the Universities Superannuation Scheme in 2018 and 2019. Chris is an Honorary Fellow of the IFoA.

LCP

Helen is a corporate actuary, with a specialism in M&A and corporate restructuring. She joined LCP three years ago from a Big 4 Accountancy Firm, where she had over a decade of post qualification experience.

Helen advises both corporates and Private Equity buyers on the pensions implications of transactions, including due-diligence, the trustee negotiation process and vendor assist. As part of this she enjoys working with pensions specialists from outside the actuarial profession to deliver the best advice to the client.

Across her portfolio of corporate clients Helen advises on pensions and de-risking strategy and has a special interest in helping her corporate clients develop their pensions "exit" strategy, de-risking in advance of a future insurance buy-out.

Simon Eagle is an actuary and CDC risk sharing pensions specialist. Building on his work with Royal Mail on CDC since 2017, Simon spends around half his time on risk sharing innovation and is a frequent industry speaker on the topic. He is Head of Risk Sharing at Willis Towers Watson where he has worked for over 20 years, and chaired the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries’ CDC and risk sharing working party for five years.

David Gordon is Senior Review Actuary at the IFoA and leads the Thematic Review Programme. Before joining the IFoA, he was a defined benefit pensions consultant and scheme actuary with 30 years of experience. He also had a leading role within his firm on regulatory matters.

Actuary, Pensions Regulator

Martin is an actuary at the Pensions Regulator with over 20 years' experience working in pensions.  He joined the Regulator in 2020, and has worked on a range of projects, individual cases and policy matters.  

He is part of the team that developed the DB Funding Code and also supported DWP as they drafted the Funding and Investment Strategy Regulations 2024. 

Before joining the Regulator, Martin worked as a scheme actuary and consultant in an actuarial consultancy and as part of an in-house pensions team.  

CEO, Pensions for Purpose

Andy works with trustees, employers, providers, and corporates on a wide range of pensions and retirement savings matters. As an experienced general advisory lawyer, he has a particular focus on complex projects, including funding, covenant, DC solutions, and contentious matters. Andy regularly advises on the pensions aspects of corporate transactions.
 
He is well known for his expertise in ESG, sustainability and investment duties in pensions. In addition to helping clients navigate this developing area, Andy has worked with the Financial Markets Law Committee and many other leading industry bodies. He frequently speaks and writes about ESG topics.
 
He is also active in supporting equality, diversity, and inclusion initiatives within the pensions industry and beyond, with a particular focus on LGBTQ+ themes.