Beyond the transaction

1. You've recently joined L&G as Head of Transitions. Can you tell us a little about your background, what attracted you to the role, and how your experience advising pension schemes shapes your perspective today?

I've spent much of my career advising pension schemes on buy-in transactions. Over the last few years, that has meant not only focusing on executing the buy-in, but also on what happens afterwards, from the work required to move a scheme to buyout, through to the member experience throughout the journey.

Working alongside trustees over many years has given me a front-row view of the challenges schemes face before, during and after a transaction. I have seen first-hand the importance of delivering not only a successful deal, but also a smooth transition that ultimately prioritises a positive outcome for members. 

What attracted me to L&G was the opportunity to combine that advisory experience with the scale and expertise of one of the UK's leading pension risk transfer providers. The market has evolved significantly in recent years, and I am particularly excited about the role L&G can play to drive that evolution and help shape what happens after a transaction completes. 

2. When people think about pension risk transfer, they often focus on completing a transaction. Why is the period after a deal completes just as important?

Completing a transaction is a significant milestone in a scheme’s journey, but it's really the start of the next phase rather than the end, particularly from the member’s perspective. The period immediately following a transaction is when promises made during the deal process are translated into real outcomes.

A successful transition requires careful planning, strong governance and close collaboration between all parties. Whether it's transferring administration responsibilities, completing data work or supporting member communications, the post-sale period is critical to ensuring continuity of service and maintaining member confidence. 

Ultimately, the quality of the experience following a transaction is one of the clearest measures of its success.

3. What roles do administration, data quality and member communications play in delivering a successful transition?

At its core, our industry is focused on ensuring that members receive the right benefits on time, while feeling informed and supported throughout the process.

As schemes move towards buyout, this becomes even more important. Members are seeing a change in who is responsible for paying their pension and need confidence in the new provider. At the same time, it represents the scheme’s final opportunity to ensure benefits are being paid correctly.

High-quality data provides the foundation for accurate benefit administration and should be established before buyout. The cleaner the data at the start of the transition process, the smoother the journey and the lower the risk throughout.

Strong administration ensures that members continue to receive the service and support they expect without disruption. Equally important is communication. For many members, a transaction can feel like a significant change. Clear, timely and accessible communications help build trust, provide reassurance and give members confidence in the journey ahead. 

When administration, data and communications work together effectively, they create a much smoother experience for both trustees and members.

4. How do L&G's scale, experience and in-house capabilities help support schemes once a transaction has completed?

Having significant in-house capabilities, including our award-winning administration and customer service teams, allows us to maintain close oversight of the member journey, which sits at the heart of everything we do.

One of L&G's key strengths is the breadth of expertise we have across the organisation. Our experience of delivering many transactions means we've encountered a wide range of scenarios and developed robust processes to support schemes through transition in a controlled and efficient way. 

Bringing together specialists across administration, operations, data, transition management and member services, we take a coordinated approach and respond quickly to changing needs and new opportunities. 

Ultimately, our culture and fully in-house model give trustees confidence that their scheme is supported by an experienced team that will put members first.

5. As the market continues to evolve, what opportunities are you most excited about for trustees and members?

The continued growth and maturity of the pension risk transfer market is creating exciting opportunities for both trustees and members. We're seeing increasing focus on member outcomes, supported by advances in technology and digital services.
I'm particularly excited by the opportunity to deliver even more seamless transition experiences and to use data and digital capabilities to improve how members engage with their benefits.

As the market evolves, I expect we'll continue to see greater innovation across the post-sale journey, helping trustees meet their objectives through a controlled but efficient process while ensuring members receive the high-quality service and support they deserve.