UK Pensions Awards 2023
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How we choose the winners
What are these awards all about?
The UK Pensions Awards – which celebrated their 25th anniversary in 2022 - remain the industry's most prestigious accolades. They shine the light on excellence and recognise the advisers, providers and investment managers that offer the highest level of innovation, performance and service to occupational pension schemes and their members, and have done the most to improve this over the past year.
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The process for the 2022 awards began at the end of last year when advisers and providers nominated themselves, or were nominated by schemes, for the accolades. Each firm then put forward their submission, which was used by our panel of judges to draw up the shortlists and decide on the winners. This year’s awards were rigorously judged by a panel of 46 senior scheme managers, trustees and advisers, comprising:
• Alan Greenlees, client director, Zedra Governance • Aled Davies, Head of customer success at Knowa and pensions adviser at Zephyrus Partners • Andrew Evans, Independent Trustee • Andrew Vaughan, senior partner, Barnett Waddingham • Ash Field, head of pensions, The University of Manchester • Ava Lau, director of global benefits, pensions and mobility, London Stock Exchange Group • Bobby Riddaway, director and consultant, Riddaway Executive Consultancy • Caroline Eastwood, senior manager for pensions, Nationwide Building Society • Caroline Escott, trustee director, Standard Life Master Trust • Chris Clifton, chair of trustees, Husqvarna UK Pensions Trustee Limited • Chris Parrott, Pensions Management Institute non-executive director and advisory council member • Damon Lacey, pensions manager, BAT UK Pension Fund • Darren Philp, founder and managing director, Shula Policy and PR • David Rae, managing director and head of strategic client solutions, Russell Investments • Eve Keith, pension manager, Tesco • Gail Izat, workplace managing director, Standard Life • Heather Brown, member-nominated trustee director, Aviva Staff Pension Scheme • Helen Scothern, pensions director, Cooper Parry • Jas Bhogal, pensions manager at Rexel UK • Jill Ampleford, partner and head of trustee consulting, Lane Clark & Peacock • Joanne Fairbairn, client director, Zedra Governance • John Leavey, global DC retirement plan and financial education manage , London Stock Exchange Group • Kate Boyle, founder and client director, KBPR • Kevin LeGrand, Independent of KGC Associates and past-president of the Pensions Management Institute • Kim Gubler, chairwoman of PASA, trustee of the Crystal Master Trust and director of KGC Associates • Lesley Carline, Director of KGC Associates and past-president of the Pensions Management Institute • Lynn Pointon, independent trustee, Pi Partnership Group • Mark Engelbretson, head of pensions, Network Rail • Mark Smith, pensions manager, Coventry University • Martin Collins, trustee director, 2020 Trustees • Mat Dodds, chief growth director, Capita • Mike O’Connor, head of pensions, Next • Mohsin Harhara, head of pensions, Skanska UK • Nathalie Sims, partner and head of strategic relationships, LCP • Nicola Morgan, head of pensions and benefits, Marks & Spencer • Oliver Payne, European pensions manager, Ford Motor Company • Paul Battye, chief executive, Hoffmann Reed • Rita Butler-Jones, co-head of DC, Legal & General Investment Management • Roger Higgins, special projects lead, BT Pension Scheme Management • Roger Mattingly, trustee director, Ross Trustees • Rosie Lacey, pensions manager at Kier Group and vice-president of the Pensions Management Institute • Sarah Brennan, accredited professional trustee , Dalriada Trustees • Sarah Brough, senior professional trustee, Dalriada Trustees • Sharon Bellingham, master trust lead, Scottish Widows • Simon Kew, director, Teneo • Stella Chaplin, director of pension & benefits and total reward for UK & Europe , Atkins • Steve Hitchiner, President of the Society of Pension Professionals and partner at Barnett Waddingham • Tim Banks, sales director for UK institutional core clients, Axa Investment Managers • Tracey Deeks, trustee, Canada Life UK Division Staff Pension Fund • Vicky Carr, partner, Sackers • Victoria Panormo, head of client relationships at Aviva and main committee member of NextGen
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For support we thank:
the 2023 awards
DB Master Trust / Consolidator of the Year
DC Investment Manager of the Year
Educational and thought leadership initiative of the Year
DC Master Trust of the year
Risk Reduction Adviser of the Year
Third-Party Administration of the ye
DB Investment Innovation of the year
Retirement Innovation of the year
Explore our 2023 Awards
Click on a category to reveal the winner
DC Innovation of the Year
Find the winner
Active Fund Awards
Pensions Lawyers of the Year
Institutional Investment Platform Provider of the Year
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Manager of the Year
Diversity & Inclusion Excellence Award
DC Pension Provider of the Year
Pensions Communication initiative of the year
group awards
Group awards
passive fund awards
Active fund awards
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Cashflow-driven Investment (CDI) Manager of the Year
DC Multi-Asset Fund Manager of the Year
DB Multi-Asset Manager of the Year
Best Pension Scheme Communications Strategy
Risk Reduction Provider of the Year
the 2023 awards Categories
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DC Consultancy of the year
Fiduciary Evaluator of the Year
Investment Consultancy of the Year
Actuarial/Pensions Consultancy of the Year
Alternative and Private Markets Investment Manager of the Year
Factor Investing Manager of the Year
Emerging Markets Manager of the Year
Equity Manager of the Year
Impact Manager of the Year
Fixed Income Manager of the Year
Fiduciary Manager of the Year
Investment Manager of the Year
Independent Trustee of the Year
Technology Innovation of the year
Sponsor Covenant/ IRM Advise r of the year
Real Estate Manager of the Year
Pensions Litigation Firm of the Year
Pension Scheme of the Year
DB Investment Innovation of the Year
DC Master Trust of the Year
Third-Party Administration of the year
Technology Innovation of the Year
Sponsor Covenant/IRM Adviser of the year
Liability-Driven Investment (LDI) Manager of the Year
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Who made the shortlist?
Congratulations! TPT Retirement Solutions
Citrus Deloitte Pensions Master Plan Isio / Entrust TPT Retirement Solutions
“TPT’s new graduate school ensures it can recruit and develop the right talent to deliver the high-quality services it prides itself on”
TPT Retirement Solutions’ David Lane (left) collects the award from Ed Byrne (right)
An extract from TPT Retirement Solutions’ original submission…
What does it mean to win this award? This award is an exceptional accolade for TPT and we’re delighted to have won it for three out of the last four years. It doesn’t just confirm our status as the leading DB Master Trust, it’s also recognition for the work that’s gone into creating an attractive, fully integrated solution for DB schemes. We feel privileged to be in a position where the more schemes that join our DB Master Trust, the bigger the benefits we can provide. Our scale allows us to give smaller schemes access to investment expertise and funds that might not otherwise be easily available to them. We also help our sponsors save time and reduce costs with robust journey planning and strengthened governance against a landscape of increasing regulation. What have been your main achievements as an organisation over the past 18 months? There’s been a lot of change in the pensions world over the last 18 months. We were pleased to see that most of our schemes saw their funding level improve, with a number reaching a self-sufficiency basis, despite the turbulent economy. With our schemes enjoying strong positions, there’s been an increased focus on the ultimate end game for sponsors, in particular the creation of plans to help them achieve their goals. We’ve made significant improvements to our member experience too, by introducing a new ‘triage’ contact centre to handle the increase in calls prompted by our member engagement activities. What do you believe sets you apart from your peers and contributes to this success? We’ve been delivering pensions for 75+ years and our teams continue to listen and adapt so they can continually deliver a better service for members. Our DB Master Trust provides all the benefits associated with scale, providing the robust governance framework that ensures our schemes are properly run, while easing growing regulatory burdens. What are the key challenges facing your pension scheme clients at the current time and how are you helping them address these issues? The key challenges we help our schemes to overcome are varied. We’ve supported trustee boards with governance challenges and helped organisations gain back time that would otherwise have been taken up with legacy schemes. Cost control and strategic planning pose challenges too, as schemes move towards a more mature position and, in some cases, the end game. The integration of ESG factors into a scheme’s investment portfolio and strategy has also becoming increasingly important. Our fully integrated solution addresses all these factors. How will you continue to improve your services to pension scheme clients over the coming 12 months? Over the past 12 months, we’ve been undertaking a strategic review of the business to see how we can enhance the services we already provide. As a result, we’re creating a new Fiduciary Management company, which will provide investment services to our DB Master Trust. That means we’ll also be able to provide Fiduciary Management as part of a fully bundled pension management offering, without schemes having to move to our Master Trust. The result will be faster strategic decision-making, combined with the benefits of our integrated service e.g., reduced running costs, economies of scale, greater efficiencies, access to more specialist investment, with the additional benefits of fiduciary management. It will be an offering that’s unique in the marketplace.
Interview: David Lane, CEO, TPT Retirement Solutions
DB Complete is TPT Retirement Solutions’ consolidation solution for defined benefit (DB) schemes – comprising all services needed for effective scheme management. The firm says clients typically see savings of up to 30% in scheme-running costs, while gaining access to funding and investment strategies that would otherwise be inaccessible for smaller schemes. TPT says the vast majority of its clients saw their funding level improve over 2022, with a number reaching a true self-sufficiency basis. It said that with its schemes enjoying such strong positions, it allows the organisation to focus on more strategic issues – looking at it can simultaneously ‘solve problems’ for the sponsor and scheme, journey planning and, in some cases, work towards buyout. During 2022, TPT completed a multi-year strategic review to ensure its responsible investment principles were fully embedded across its portfolio – conducting comprehensive ESG training for its trustees, publishing its net zero commitment and climate action plan; and supporting more than 80 ESG initiatives through its DB investment maangers. TPT also created a new graduate school – allowing it to ‘grow its own talent’. It completed three initial training schools in 2022 – with eight graduates in total. The firm also launched its ‘Contact TPT’ portal - a secure, convenient way for members to submit queries and documents online 24/7. TPT also introduced a new ‘triage’ contact centre to handle a significant increase in calls as a result of our member engagement activities. All seven members of the new team have already been mentioned by name in positive member feedback and its abandoned call rate has dropped from 3.27% to 1.22% – despite the massive increase in calls. It says around 52% of calls are now ‘one and done’.
Congratulations! BlackRock
AllianceBernstein Berenberg BlackRock Legal & General Investment Management
Educational and Thought Leadership Initiative of the Year
“Continues to enhance its service to clients with initiatives such as its voting choice program to expand the voting choice options available to institutional clients”
PP editor Jonathan Stapleton presents the award to BlackRock’s Claire Felgate, Charlotte Povey and Diane Allot
BlackRock’s purpose is to help more and more people experience financial wellbeing. Its submission for 2023 focused on how BlackRock has expanded its voting choice offerings, created a toolbox for clients to help with the transition to net zero and created a pooled illiquid solution for DC schemes. BlackRock is acutely aware that there are lingering barriers preventing the mass adoption of private markets by UK defined contribution (DC) investors – with DC alternative assets currently making up, according to Broadridge’s 2021 Navigator report, less than 6% of DC portfolios. In 2022, BlackRock made significant strides to develop its alternatives capabilities for DC investors – dedicating significant time and investment to expand its alternative capabilities in DC; working in close collaboration with clients and bringing its capabilities across solution design, structuring and private markets together to provide workable solutions. In 2022, BlackRock also continued to expand the voting choice options available to its institutional clients – widening the options available to clients and expanding the institutional pooled fund ranges eligible for Voting Choice in the UK. It has also increased the frequency of its stewardship reporting, the publication of vote bulletins and enhanced transparency around our sustainability and stewardship activities. In addition, while it has committed to net-zero emissions for its own corporate impact, it has also committed significant investment into building solutions and tools so that its clients can meet their own commitments, obligations and regulatory reporting requirements such as TCFD reporting. BlackRock also continues to offer its BlackRock Educational Academy to clients – providing during the year a range of educational content in-person, virtually and on-demand to ensure its clients can stay up to date with markets, trends, and best practices from the industry.
An extract from BlackRock’s original submission…
What does it mean to win the award? BlackRock’s purpose is to help more and more people experience financial well-being. We seek to build a better retirement for all and are deeply proud of the role we play within the UK defined contribution (DC) landscape, so are humbled to win this award. The UK DC market has shown leadership in sustainable investing, with defaults and schemes and consultants paying heavy regard to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues to help navigate the transition to a low carbon economy. However, building robust retirement solutions is more than innovative implementation; it’s about helping our clients and members understand what they own and how we engage with those companies on their behalf, in their pension savings. We believe that living longer can and should be fulfilling. We therefore strive to help millions of people build savings that serve them throughout their lives. We do this by designing new, innovative solutions and making them more accessible. And we don’t stop there. We are firmly leading from the front, actively changing the retirement system through our engagement with policymakers, regulators, and the broader industry. What have been your main achievements as an organisation over the past 18 months? The structure of our submission deliberately follows that of the entry criteria: Innovation – our focus on our clients, incorporating alternatives to DC, our net-zero toolbox for clients, and our development of Voting Choice. Performance – building better retirements for all, our suite of sustainable solutions, and our flagship Target Date Fund suite, LifePath. Service – our ESG reporting capability, public policy correspondence, and the BlackRock Education Academy platform. Our submission for 2022 focused on the development of our sustainable fund range for DC investors, the creation of Voting Choice (Voting Choice allows institutional investors in segregated accounts and many of our pooled funds the ability to apply their stewardship principles) and the advancements BlackRock had made with incorporating illiquid investments to DC defaults. Over the year, we have continued to evolve and innovate. For 2023, our submission focuses on how BlackRock has taken these key areas one step further. We have expanded our Voting Choice offerings, created a toolbox for clients to help with the transition to net zero and continued to deliver performance despite a turbulent market environment. We have created a unique pooled illiquid solution, using the Long-Term Asset Fund structure, allowing DC schemes, platforms, and members easy access to alternative investments within their pension pot. What do you believe sets you apart from your peers and contributes to this success? BlackRock has a long history of innovation in the DC market. For example, our diversified growth team have been allocating to listed alternatives in their active multi-asset funds for over 16 years (Source: BlackRock as of 30 August 2023) and developed a range of alternative index strategies used within defaults, including our LifePath target date funds. DC investors are increasingly looking to private markets to access exciting investment opportunities to enhance retirement outcomes. We are committed to partnering with clients to achieve this and demonstrated this in our appointment to manage an infrastructure debt mandate with NEST in 2019. We see the use of multi-alternatives solutions as a logical next step. We are currently working with a number of DC investors to help them create diversified and well-managed allocations to private assets. Private markets offer the following compelling attributes: 1. Return enhancement through accessing investments with attractive long-term return potential. 2. Diversification properties that provide a differentiated risk profile to public markets. 3. Improve sustainable features of the default via thematic or impact investments. We are acutely aware that there are lingering barriers preventing the mass adoption of private markets by UK DC investors. DC alternative assets currently make up less than 6% of DC portfolios (Source: BlackRock as of 30 August 2023). In 2022, BlackRock made significant strides to develop our alternatives capabilities for DC investors. We are committed to being at the forefront of this market development, dedicating significant time and investment to expand our alternative capabilities in DC. We are working in close collaboration with clients and bringing our extensive capabilities across solution design, structuring and private markets together to provide workable solutions. Risk: Diversification and asset allocation may not fully protect you from market risk. What are the key challenges facing your pension scheme clients at the current time and how are you helping them address these issues? Pension scheme clients currently face many challenges, including uncertain inflation, elevated interest rate and greater market volatility which all impact the members’ retirement journey. We’re addressing this by offering diversified income solutions that balance risk and reward. In this uncertain market environment, we think it makes sense for our pension scheme clients to consider investing in private markets, an asset class that was previously very difficult for DC schemes to access. Investing in private markets not only offer an important source of diversification relative to the more traditional public market exposures, but could also help improve risk-adjusted returns throughout the members’ retirement journey. Many real assets, such as infrastructure and property investments, offer long-term stable cash flows and potential inflation linkage. Private markets also offer our clients and their members an opportunity to align to global trends such as transition to a low-carbon economy. The need to incorporate ESG objectives into investment strategies is paramount and our expertise in sustainability and stewardship aid clients in achieving their ESG objectives. How will you continue to improve your services to pension scheme clients over the coming 12 months? In the upcoming year, we're committed to further elevating our service, including enhancing our technology-driven tools, providing insights for more informed investment decisions. Collaborating closely with clients, we'll also tailor solutions that precisely meet their evolving needs and we will do this by leveraging the partnerships we have with consultants and platforms. We're expanding our educational resources, empowering clients to navigate complex market landscapes through our Trustee Educational Academy. As we continue on this journey, our focus remains on the client and their members. We’re excited about the year ahead and the opportunities to offer innovative solutions.
Interview: Phoebe Nguyen, head of BlackRock UK institutional DC business
Risk Warnings Capital at risk. The value of investments and the income from them can fall as well as rise and are not guaranteed. Investors may not get back the amount originally invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of current or future results and should not be the sole factor of consideration when selecting a product or strategy. Changes in the rates of exchange between currencies may cause the value of investments to diminish or increase. Fluctuation may be particularly marked in the case of a higher volatility fund and the value of an investment may fall suddenly and substantially. Levels and basis of taxation may change from time to time. ESG Investment Statements: This information should not be relied upon as research, investment advice, or a recommendation regarding any products, strategies, or any security in particular. This is for illustrative and informational purposes and is subject to change. It has not been approved by any regulatory authority or securities regulator. The environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) considerations discussed herein may affect an investment team’s decision to invest in certain companies or industries from time to time. Results may differ from portfolios that do not apply similar ESG considerations to their investment process.
Important Information This material is for distribution to Professional Clients (as defined by the Financial Conduct Authority or MiFID Rules) only and should not be relied upon by any other persons. Issued by BlackRock Life Limited (“BLL”), which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority. The Fund described in this document is available only to trustees and members of pension schemes registered under Part IV of the Finance Act 2004 via an insurance policy which would be issued either by BLL, or by another insurer of such business. BLL’s registered office is 12 Throgmorton Avenue, London, EC2N 2DL, England. Registered in England and Wales number 02223202. Please refer to the Financial Conduct Authority website for a list of authorised activities conducted by BlackRock. Any research in this document has been procured and may have been acted on by BlackRock for its own purpose. The results of such research are being made available only incidentally. The views expressed do not constitute investment or any other advice and are subject to change. They do not necessarily reflect the views of any company in the BlackRock Group or any part thereof and no assurances are made as to their accuracy. This document is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer or invitation to anyone to invest in any BlackRock funds and has not been prepared in connection with any such offer. © 2023 BlackRock, Inc. All Rights reserved. BLACKROCK, BLACKROCK SOLUTIONS, and iSHARES are trademarks of BlackRock, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and elsewhere. All other trademarks are those of their respective owners. MKTGH0923E/S-3089923.
Congratulations! Aviva
Aegon UK Aviva Barnett Waddingham Bravura Buck Burges Salmon CACEIS Nest Insight Now Pensions Standard Life
Aviva’s Simon Ellis (left) collects the award from Ed Byrne (right)
“Produces reports with practical recommendations to help employers support employees with financial wellbeing and retirement planning”
Aviva has helped shape the conversation on many key issues throughout 2022. The Age of Ambiguity is its insight-led thought leadership campaign, covering financial, physical, and mental wellbeing with corporate pension clients, advisers, and customers. The concept refers to the blurring of boundaries in multiple areas of life and how the absence of definition and clarity is shaping the future of work. One of its latest reports, Mastering the Age of Ambiguity (October 2022) examined employees’ shifting views on employment, money, and wellbeing within the workplace. Other issues this thought leadership campaign has covered include financial anxiety avoidance – looking at how younger workers have more financial anxiety than older workers, and assessing how different generations tackle their financial situations very differently. The Age of Ambiguity also looked at the demographics of debt and employer duties of care – looking at how, with increasing debt levels affecting employees’ health, to combat these factors together. In addition, it looked at how ‘quiet quitting’ may be a generation’s response to hustle culture; and how to muffle this workplace hustle culture – assessing ways employers can navigate employees’ changing attitudes and retain talent. Aviva’s Age of Ambiguity reports produced practical recommendations to help employers support employees with financial wellbeing and retirement planning. As part of its campaign, Aviva invested in an activation plan through different channels, including public relations, display advertising, email, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Since launch, it has received significant media coverage and overachieved on all benchmarks for activation – with over 20,000 downloads of the reports to date. Highlights include almost 350 earned media appearances, creating over 170m ‘opportunities to see’, with 100% positive sentiment towards Aviva and its research.
An extract from Aviva’s original submission…
What does it mean to win this award? We’re honoured to be recognised with a Professional Pensions award. I’m proud of the hard work that went into The Age of Ambiguity research and the conversations it raised around financial wellbeing. It’s great to have more people talking about it now too. Winning an award is the cherry on top! What have been your main achievements as an organisation over the past 18 months? We help more than 18.5 million people look after the things they care about today, and plan for tomorrow. From delivering Aviva’s sustainability agenda to maintaining top class customer satisfaction scores. We’re passionate about empowering people with knowledge and helping them feel in control of their future. For example, following the launch of Pensions Snapshot, 170,000 customers went on to explore the Pension Snapshot experience. Of that number, 90% completed the Snapshot journey and 70% of these continued to find out more via further navigation, right through to taking action, such as changing investment funds, or managing beneficiaries. What do you believe set you apart from your peers and contributes to this success? During unstable times, we’ve remained a reliable voice for millions, and continued to deliver for our customers. We also achieved our sustainability target three years early, with 100% of our global electricity use now from renewable sources, which is something we are incredibly proud of. What are the key challenges facing your pension scheme clients at this current time and how are you helping them address these issues? Many of the challenges our pension scheme clients face is reflective of the time we’re living in. Workplaces are changing shape, the cost-of-living crisis is rolling on, and there’s greater focus on wellbeing of all kinds – including financial. We’re dedicated to making our clients feel heard and empowered to turn these challenges into opportunities to support their employees. In our 2023 Working Lives report, almost three-quarters of employees shared that the cost-of-living crisis has made them feel more anxious about their finances. Our Age of Ambiguity research encouraged individuals to lean on their workplace and gave employers advice on how to support their staff during tough times. This included signposting to our financial education seminars, working to a ‘Living Pension’ accreditation and fostering an open and caring culture at work. Another way we’re helping people address money worries is by personalising the pension process. Choosing between one-size-fits-all pension products is a thing of the past. Now we’re moving towards more flexible and tailored solutions that speak to each stage of a person’s unique retirement journey. How will Aviva continue to improve its services to pension scheme clients over the coming 12 months? Following the success of the Age of Ambiguity research, we’ll carry on talking with employers to gather new insights on building resilience, so our guidance and supports stay relevant. And we’ll continue to lean on more and more smart technology to shape Aviva as the go-to provider of the future.
Interview: Emma Douglas, workplace managing director at Aviva
Congratulations! Barnett Waddingham
abrdn Barnett Waddingham Legal & General Investment Management Railpen XPS Pensions Group
“BW’s role as advisor and architect to a new capital-baked journey plan, provides a genuinely different offering to help DB schemes”
Barnett Waddingham’s Rod Goodyer (left) receives the accolade from Ed Byrne (right)
Congratulations! Hymans Robertson
Buck Hymans Robertson Isio Lane Clark & Peacock Redington WTW XPS Pensions GrouP
DC Consultancy of the Year
Standard Life’s Sangita Chawla (left) and Ed Byrne (right) present the award to Hymans Robertson’s Rona Train
“Hymans Robertson demonstrates strong focus on sustainability and member outcomes as well as the ability to influence and lead the wider industry to bring about change”
Congratulations! Aviva Investors
Aviva Investors Berenberg Cushon Legal & General Investment Management Nest TPT Retirement Solutions
“Aviva Investors’ launch of its Climate Transition Real Asset Funds has given clients to a focused pathway to net zero by 2040 and access to ground-breaking investments such as direct investment in nature-based solutions”
Aviva Investors’ Luke Layfield collects the accolade from Ed Byrne (right)
Congratulations! Mercer DC Master Trust
Aegon UK Aviva Cushon Fidelity International Legal & General LifeSight (WTW) Mercer DC Master Trust National Pension Trust (XPS Pensions Group) Nest Scottish Widows Smart Pension Standard Life
“Mercer has democratised retirement advice through the launch of its ‘Destination Retirement’ service – an industry-first fully regulated digital advice service for members”
Lane Clark & Peacock’s Laura Myers (left) and Ed Byrne (right) present the award to Mercer’s Rishal Singh
Congratulations! Standard Life
Aegon UK Aviva Fidelity International Legal & General Investment Management PensionBee Scottish WIdows Standard Life
“Standard Life has reimagined the role of pension providers in securing the financial futures of scheme members through a holistic financial wellness journey and a range of products to offer greater member choice and flexibility”
Morgan Stanley Investment Management Kiran Inamda (left) and Ed Byrne (right) present the accolade to Standard Life’s Sharron McLennan
Highly commended: Legal & General Investment Management
Congratulations! XPS Pensions Group
Aon Aviva Capita Pension Solutions Hymans Robertson Lane Clark & Peacock PensionBee Travers Smith WTW XPS Pensions Group
“XPS Pensions Group’s school leaver programme as well as the launch of disability and multicultural networks during the year demonstrate how it is making significant steps towards creating an inclusive environment”
Redington’s Jack Robertson (left) and Ed Byrne (right) hand the award to XPS Pensions Group’s Jyothi Binu (centre left) and Paul Cuff (centre right)
Diversity and Inclusion Excellence Award
Congratulations! Schroders
AllianceBernstein Alpha Real Capital Aon AXA Investment Managers Candriam Gresham House Insight Investment J.P. Morgan Asset Management Legal & General Investment Management Newton Investment Management Schroders
“Schroders clearly demonstrates its aspiration to have sustainability at its core – helping its clients mitigate climate change through a range of innovative models and solutions”
Schroders’ Tim Horne (left) collects the accolade from Ed Byrne (right)
Barnett Waddingham Buck Ernst & Young Isio Redington XPS Pensions Group
“A stand-out submission that shows not only how XPS Pensions Group helped its clients during a challenging 2022 but also the way in which it has worked to improve the fiduciary management market more broadly”
Van Lanschot Kempen’s Vicky Casebourne (left) and Ed Byrne (right) present the accolade to XPS Pensions Group’s Julia Falk (centre left) and Faye Clark (centre right)
Congratulations! Mobius Life
Mobius Life Phoenix Corporate Investment Services
“A firm that delivers genuine innovation and exceptional performance for pension schemes and their consultants”
Mobius Life’s Marco Lepizzera (left) and Rukkia Shubbar (centre) collect the award from Ed Byrne (right)
Congratulations! Isio
Barker Tatham Investment Consultants Barnett Waddingham Buck Hymans Robertson Isio Lane Clark & Peacock Mercer Redington XPS Pensions Group
“A firm that demonstrated market-leading innovation, service and performance, especially during the LDI crisis of 2022”
Aegon UK's Nick Roy (left) and Ed Byrne (right) present the award to Isio’s Emily McGuire (centre)
Highly commended: Hymans Robertson
ABI/PLSA Civil Service Pension and MyCSP DrumRoll Fidelity International Legal & General Investment Management Quietroom Scottish Widows Smart Pension TPT Retirement Solutions XPS Pensions Group
“A firm that has completely transformed its communications and member experience, with a focus on personalisation and digitalisation, to deliver a modern, compelling pensions experience”
TPT Retirement Solutions’ Philip Smith (left) collects the award from Ed Byrne (right)
Pensions Communication Initiative of the Year
Congratulations! Sackers
Allen & Overy Arc Pensions Law Burges Salmon CMS Eversheds Sutherland Pinsent Masons Sackers Squire Patton Boggs Stephenson Harwood Travers Smith
“A firm that consistently innovates and goes beyond traditional legal advice to help its clients”
Aviva’s Victoria Panormo (left) and Ed Byrne (right) hand the award to Sackers’ Ferdy Lovett (centre left) and Charlotte Bailey (centre right)
Capita Pension Solutions Mercer DC Master Trust
“Mercer’s sector-first Destination Retirement tool makes fully-regulated digital retirement advice available to every single member aged 55 and over”
Mercer’s Tom Curtis collects the award from Ed Byrne (right)
Retirement Innovation of the Year
ALLEN & OVERY AON BUCK HYMANS ROBERTSON K3 ADVISORY LANE CLARK & PEACOCK TRAVERS SMITH XPS PENSIONS GROUP
Hymans Robertson’s Lara Desay is handed the award by Aviva’s Victoria Panormo (left) and Ed Byrne (right)
“Hymans Robertson’s clear innovation translated into strong growth in 2022 – with the firm winning over 80% of competitive risk transfer tenders, including 14 new clients”
Congratulations! Pension Insurance Corporation
JUST GROUP PENSION INSURANCE CORPORATION ROTHESAY SCOTTISH WIDOWS STANDARD LIFE
“A submission that demonstrates excellence across the board and provides great client testimonials”
XPS Pensions Group’s Stephen Purves (left) and Ed Byrne (right) present the accolade to Pension Insurance Corporation’s Richard Seymour (centre left) and Tristan Walker-Buckton (centre right)
Highly commended: Standard Life
Barnett Waddingham Buck Hymans Robertson Isio Spence & Partners Trafalgar House WTW XPS Pensions Group
“A firm that aims to make the member journey as smooth and as intuitive as possible, supporting members to access what they want and interact with XPS without barriers”
XPS Pensions Group’s Darryl James (left) and Charlotte Ferguson (centre) collect the award from Ed Byrne (right)
Third-Party Administrator of the Year
Congratulations! Lane Clark & Peacock
Broadstone Buck EY-Parthenon Hymans Robertson Isio K3 Advisory Lane Clark & Peacock WTW XPS Pensions Group
Congratulations! Border to Coast Pensions Partnership
Allianz Global Investors Border to Coast Pensions Partnership Darwin Alternatives GLIL Infrastructure Gresham House J.P. Morgan Asset Management LCM Partners M&G Investments Mercer Partners Group
Congratulations! ICI Specialty Chemicals Pension Fund
ICI Specialty Chemicals Pension Fund M&S Pension Scheme
Congratulations! Insight Investment
abrdn Alpha Real Capital AXA Investment Managers Goldman Sachs Asset Management Insight Investment Legal and General Investment Management Schroders Solutions
Cashflow-Driven Investment (CDI) Manager of the Year
Congratulations! Mercer
Mercer Newton Investment Management Railpen WTW
Congratulations! Partners Group
Lombard Odier Investment Managers Partners Group
Congratulations! Robeco
Artisan Partners Baron Capital Management Neuberger Berman Nordea Asset Management Pictet Asset Management RisCura Robeco William Blair Investment Management
Highly commended: RisCura
Congratulations! Boarder to Coast Pensions Partnership
Artisan Partners Baron Capital Management Berenberg Boarder to Coast Pensions Partnership Dodge & Cox Fisher Investments Morgan Stanley Investment Management Nordea Asset Management Pictet Asset Management T. Rowe Price William Blair Investment Management
Congratulations! Railpen
Aon Invesco Quantitative Strategies Railpen Russell Investments
Congratulations! Aon
Aon BlackRock Goldman Sachs Asset Management Mercer Russell Investments Schroders Solutions SECOR Asset Management Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management
Dodge & Cox Insight Investment J.P. Morgan Asset Management Legal & General Investment Management M&G Investments Nordea Asset Management Robeco T. Rowe Price TwentyFour Asset Management Wellington Management
Congratulations! Alpha Real Capital
Alpha Real Capital Aon AXA IM Alts CBRE Investment Management Columbia Threadneedle Investments Fisher Investments M&G Investments Nordea Asset Management Schroders
Congratulations! Independent Trustee Services (now part of Independent Governance Group)
20-20 Trustees (now part of Vidett) Dalriada Trustees gcTrustees Independent Trustee Services (now part of Independent Governance Group) Law Debenture ndapt PAN Trustees Punter Southall Governance Services (now part of vidett) Ross Trustees (now part of Independent Governance Group) Zedra
Highly commended: ndapt
Congratulations! M&G Investments
Artisan Partners Dodge & Cox Gresham House Insight Investment M&G Investments Morgan Stanley Investment Management Robeco Ruffer Wellington Management William Blair Investment Management
abrdn Columbia Threadneedle Investments Goldman Sachs Asset Management Insight Investment Schroders Solutions
Congratulations! Tesco Retirement Savings Plan
Affinity Water Pension Plan HSBC Bank (UK) Pension Scheme Railways Pension Scheme Tesco Retirement Savings Plan
Congratulations! Pinsent Masons
Burges Salmon CMS Eversheds Sutherland Pinsent Masons Sackers Stephenson HarwooD
Congratulations! CBRE Investment Management
Alpha Real Capital AXA IM Alts BNP Paribas Asset Management CBRE Investment Management Columbia Threadneedle Investments Invesco Real Estate
Congratulations! PwC
Cardano EY-Parthenon Grant Thornton UK Lane Clark & Peacock PCS (Purbeck Covenant Services) PwC RSM XPS Pensions Group (incorporating Penfida)
Sponsor Covenant / IRM Adviser of the Year
Congratulations! Gretel
AMX by Carne Barnett Waddingham Cardano Cushon Gretel Heywood Pension Technologies Mercer Penny WTW XPS Pensions Group
