Tue 20 May 2025 - Join our premier pensions event at Staple Inn this May, and claim your CPD hours through a range of exciting sessions led by expert speakers, sharing their valuable experience and insight.
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.
CEO, Pensions for Purpose
Simon Eagle is an actuary and Collective Defined Contributions (CDC) pensions specialist. Building on his work advising Royal Mail on CDC pension design since 2017, Simon is a frequent industry speaker on CDC. He is a Senior Director and Head of GB CMP at Willis Towers Watson where he has worked for over twenty years, and chairs the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries’ CDC and risk sharing working party.
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.
This year’s engaging programme covers a wide range of critical topics including:
| Activity | Time | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome refreshments and meet the Pensions Board and its committees | 08:45 - 09:30 | Welcome refreshments and meet the Pensions Board and its committees Read more |
An opportunity for you to meet and engage with the members of the IFoA’s Pensions Board and its committees. Gain insights into the key initiatives, priorities, and ongoing projects that shape their work. Whether you are interested in contributing to a committee, learning more about its role, or simply wanting to connect, here’s your chance. | ||
| Welcome | 09:30 - 09:40 | Welcome Read more |
Speaker: Kartina Tahir Thomson, IFoA President | ||
| Keynote speaker | 09:40 - 10:40 | Keynote speaker: Chris Curry, Director of Pensions Policy Institute |
| Climate change and fiduciary duties: an update | 10:40 - 11:25 | Climate change and fiduciary duties: an update Read more |
It’s been over a year since the Work and Pensions Committee evidence session into fiduciary duties and climate change. This session will explore how (the UK’s regulatory environment and) the industry’s understanding of the topic has developed, and issues faced by trustees and their advisors as science and modelling, investment landscape, and world politics evolve. This is an interactive session designed to encourage active participation from attendees. The talk will be followed by a Q&A segment within the allocated time, allowing you to engage directly with the speaker and delve deeper into the topic. Speakers: Mike Clark, Ario Advisory, and Charlotte O’Leary, CEO of Pensions for Purpose | ||
| Morning refreshments | 11:25 - 11:45 | Morning refreshments |
| Busting CDC scheme myths | 11:45 - 12:15 | Busting CDC scheme myths Read more |
In autumn 2024 the government consulted on regulations that would enable multi-employer whole-of-life CDC schemes. This reignited arguments for and against the development of CDC schemes in general, when compared to existing retirement and investment products. This short session attempts to distinguish between fact and myth. It explores how CDC might develop to find a place within UK pensions. Speakers: Simon Eagle and Helen Draper, CDC Working Party This is an interactive session designed to encourage active participation from attendees. The talk will be followed by a Q&A segment within the allocated time, allowing you to engage directly with the speaker and delve deeper into the topic. | ||
| Update from CMI SAPS Committee | 12:15 - 13:00 | Update from CMI SAPS Committee Read more |
2024 was an interesting year for UK population mortality with the lightest mortality rates for many years. This session, delivered by a representative of the CMI SAPS Committee, will:
Speaker: Cobus Daneel, CMI This is an interactive session designed to encourage active participation from attendees. The talk will be followed by a Q&A segment within the allocated time, allowing you to engage directly with the speaker and delve deeper into the topic. | ||
| Lunch | 13:00 - 14:00 | Lunch |
| The new DB funding regime: what are we seeing in practice? | 14:00 - 14:45 | The new DB funding regime: what are we seeing in practice? Read more |
With the new DB funding regime now well established, many trustee boards and sponsors may be looking ahead to their next valuation and thinking ‘what does this mean for me?’ In this session Lorna Johns, Senior Director in WTW’s retirement team talks through:
Speakers: Lorna Johns is joined by Martin McNamara, an actuary at The Pensions Regulator. He will give his view on how they are seeing schemes adapt under the new regime along with the new reporting requirements. This is an interactive session designed to encourage active participation from attendees. The talk will be followed by a Q&A segment within the allocated time, allowing you to engage directly with the speaker and delve deeper into the topic. | ||
| Legal update | 14:45 - 15:15 | Legal update Read more |
Focus on topical legal issues. Speaker: Andy Lewis, partner at Sackers This is an interactive session designed to encourage active participation from attendees. The talk will be followed by a Q&A segment within the allocated time, allowing you to engage directly with the speaker and delve deeper into the topic. | ||
| IFoA Regulatory Policy Team updates | 15:15 - 16:15 | IFoA Regulatory Policy Team updates Read more |
IFoA Regulatory Policy Team updates including:
Speakers:
This is an interactive session designed to encourage active participation from attendees. The talk will be followed by a Q&A segment within the allocated time, allowing you to engage directly with the speaker and delve deeper into the topic. | ||
| Closing remarks followed by networking | 16:15 - 16:25 | Closing remarks followed by networking Read more |
Speakers: Gemma Cayton, Chair of the Pensions Lifelong Learning Sub-committee and Pensions Board member | ||
Don’t miss this opportunity to expand your knowledge, continue your professional development and connect with pensions actuaries from across the profession. Secure your place and book now.
1-3 Staple Inn Hall
High Holborn
London
WC1V 7QH