Why good governance is more than a tick-box exercise
At our recent Governance Matters roundtable, hosted in partnership with Sackers, we discussed what good governance truly means for trustee boards today. Too often, governance is viewed as just another compliance hurdle. But we believe it’s so much more. When approached thoughtfully, good governance helps schemes make better decisions, manage risks effectively, and, most importantly, […]
Breaking down barriers: making communications inclusive
We’re now up to episode six of our ‘Shaping Tomorrow’ podcast, with this month’s released during National Inclusion Week. Tune in as host Clare Routledge quizzes our expert panel on financial inclusion, communications around financial information, how they’re received by members and what we can do to make them better and easier to understand. Joining […]
Governance Matters Roadshow
A glimpse into the future of UK pensions
Alison Hatcher caught up with Asset TV, as she outlined the shift towards a market of “mega schemes” and the resulting governance challenges. Check out the interview below, where she argues for a new, collaborative mindset within the industry and a focus on acquiring the right skills for trustees to manage this transition and deliver […]
The future for professional trustees and their schemes
At the end of May, I had the pleasure and privilege to speak at Professional Pensions Live. The discussion centred on the future of trusteeship, a topic that has come up frequently since I joined Vidett. The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has set out a vision for the future and I am encouraged by its direction. […]
Death and pensions: easing the process after passing
In the latest episode of our ‘Shaping Tomorrow’ podcast, this month host Clare Routledge welcomes Alison Coulson to part one of the show, ready to discuss an area close to her heart. Alison’s husband Neil sadly passed in March last year, so she reflects on the positives, challenges and areas that need improvement from her […]
Artificial Intelligence roundtable part 2: threats, opportunities and replacing human expertise
In the first part of our series on artificial intelligence (AI), industry voices Albana, Simon and Duncan helped me explore the different types of AI, it’s impact on the pensions industry both now and in the future and how we’re utilising it at Vidett. This time we’re discussing the threats and opportunities that AI brings, […]
Vidett win Independent Trustee of the Year
Last night we were once again named ‘Independent Trustee of the Year’ at the UK Pensions Awards 2025 gala dinner in London. Retaining the award from our 2024 win, it was all smiles with the accolade representing another fantastic win for the entire Vidett team. On reflection of the brilliant win, chief executive Wayne Phelan […]
Artificial Intelligence roundtable part 1: how is AI impacting the pensions industry?
Love it or loathe it, artificial intelligence (AI) can’t be avoided. But to what extent is it impacting the financial services industry and more specifically, the pensions industry? I’m no tech wizard, but we all have a vested interest in trying to understand AI – and how it can impact our day to day lives […]
Shaping Tomorrow: strength in sustainability
We’re delighted to share with you the latest episode of our ‘Shaping Tomorrow’ podcast, as this month host Clare Routledge puts the focus on sustainability. With political momentum shifting away from net-zero and sustainability, those working in the space are in danger of losing motivation and hope. In this episode our panel explore their day-to-day […]
Simulating a data breach
As part of the general code of practice’s effective system of governance requirements, many pension scheme’s are implementing Incident Response Plan’s in case of a data breach.
But how comfortable are trustees with using the policies they’ve put in place? We ran a simulation to find out…
Shaping Tomorrow: collaboration drives success
In episode three of our ‘Shaping Tomorrow’ podcast, our host Clare Routledge puts the spotlight on a project the team have been working on for Volvo Group, that has seen us merge four of their pension schemes together. Joining Clare in discussion this month, are: On the latest episode, Clare commented: “We have been on […]
Shaping Tomorrow: inspiring women
Our latest ‘Shaping Tomorrow’ podcast is ready for download, as we join Client Director/host Clare Routledge for an International Women’s Day themed episode. This month Clare is joined by a number of guests all from Vidett, as we celebrate achievements, share experiences and discuss changes they’d like to see in the future. On the release […]
Careers in pensions: the old and new
When we started our careers in pensions in the 80s and 90s, the landscape was vastly different. Back then central Edinburgh and Glasgow were crammed with Scottish banks and insurance companies; so it was a bit of a no-brainer to start work in that sector. Although there has been huge consolidation in the financial services […]
Netball and Trustee Boards: A Metaphor for Effective Governance
At first glance, netball and trustee boards may seem worlds apart. One is a fast-paced sport played on courts, while the other operates in boardrooms, strategizing for the success of a scheme. My experience on trustee boards and my love of netball have made me realise the striking parallels between them both: teamwork, strategy, and […]
The general code: creating proportional ESOGs and ORAs
As schemes make their way through building effective systems of governance (ESOGs) it’s important to remember that every scheme has its own view on proportionality. Not everything needs to be gold standard for every scheme; it’s about applying the requirements in practice. Additionally, almost no schemes need to create their whole ESOG from scratch as […]
REBA Pensions Summit 2024
Client directors Caroline Eastwood and Aimee Denham were recently on the line-up for the Reward & Employee Benefits Association (REBA)’s Future of Pensions Summit; running their workshop on ‘New thinking for DC – using governance to drive value & engagement’. Commenting on the London event, Caroline said: “Engagement remains the biggest challenge for schemes of […]
National Inclusion Week: What inclusion looks like in the workplace
‘Inclusion’ is a word that gets used a lot, especially at work. But what does it really mean, what benefits does it bring and what does an inclusive workplace look like in practice? Straight away, it needs to be said that there’s no ‘one size fits all approach’ to inclusion. What works for one company […]
The PLSA: Thames Valley Summer Meeting
Client directors Simon Lewis and Simon Riviere recently joined the Thames Valley PLSA summer meeting, ready to tackle the subject of cyber security. The session, chaired by Simon Lewis, saw Suzanne Burrell join Simon Riviere on the expert panel; exploring how recent cyber incidents in and out of the pensions space, plus regulator guidance, has […]
Vidett win Independent Trustee of the Year!
We were thrilled to be named ‘Independent Trustee of the Year’ at the recent UK Pensions Awards. The win recognises a fantastic year for all, as the winners were announced at Professional Pensions’ gala dinner in London last week. In recognition of the award, our co-chief executive Wayne Phelan commented: “I can speak for everyone […]
Adviser reviews: a marathon not a sprint
When getting ready to run my first London Marathon I soon realised that if I had any chance of completing the 26.2 miles around London, I needed to be prepared. But what did being prepared look like? Having never been a runner, this was a whole new world to me. Luckily, there are clear parallels […]
3 ways secondments help promote good mental health and wellbeing
In this article for the Reward & Employee Benefits Association (REBA), Claire Barnes highlights some of the benefits bringing a seconded worker into your team can bring, both for the team and the company. To read the whole article, please click here. To learn more about how our Interim resources and project support team could […]
Everything you need to know about the general code
The Pensions Regulator’s updated general code framework went live on 28 March 2024. To mark this landmark, we’ve put together a handy video guide, breaking down what you need to do and by when. Find out more on our webpage here.
Equipping your trustee board to deal with changing circumstances
To look after member benefits, pension trustee boards need to stay on top of changing circumstances and be ready to address unexpected challenges. In this article, Vidett’s Chris Halewood identifies some changes faced by two hypothetical trustee boards and suggests how to deal with them. Boards rely on their trustees to function properly. If a […]
DC pension oversight with a governance committee
Client directors, Claire Barnes and Caroline Eastwood recently combined forces in their article for Governance and Compliance Magazine. The piece looks at the importance of pension governance committees, and how they can help enhance member outcomes, with a real-life case study helping bring the theory to life. Reflecting on the piece, Caroline commented: “Having established […]
General code series #5 – will the general code improve member communications?
In short, no. But it might be a nudge in the right direction (for some pension trustee boards at least). Why do I say that? Well, the communications and disclosure section in the recently published General Code is not too different from that in the draft and there was very little that was actually new […]
General code series #4 – what are the administration requirements of the general code?
Pension administration has often been viewed as the ‘poor relation’ in the hierarchy of pension trustee relationships, but pension schemes exist to pay members their benefits in accordance with the scheme rules and a trustee’s key responsibility is to safeguard these benefits. So, perhaps it’s not surprising The Pensions Regulator (TPR) recognises pensions administration is […]
General code series #3 – the governing body: board structure and activities
The ‘governing body’, is a term introduced by the general code (the code) to add to an already broad landscape of roles and responsibilities! The code’s definition is as follows: ‘The governing body is responsible for running a scheme. Governing bodies may be trustees or managers of occupational pension schemes, or, in public service pension […]
General code series #2 – where to start?
As noted before, there’s plenty trustee boards can be doing now to begin the next stage of the pension governance evolution. There is time to get it right though, so the important thing is just to start! Pension trustees need to make sure any steps taken to comply with the code should benefit the pension […]
General code series #1 – the governance evolution
As a professional pension trustee I get to hear what a whole raft of scheme advisers are saying to trustee boards about The Pension Regulator’s (TPR) proposed new general code of practice and the related ‘effective system of governance’ (ESoG). At this time, it sounds like we’re dealing with a revolution. The problem is, regulatory […]
Promotions at Vidett
It’s exciting times at Vidett as we announce several new promotions within the team. Our congratulations go out to a number of the team, with Geoff Winn promoted to Client Director, Alison Pearson and Shay Owode becoming Associate Directors, and Anne-Marie Blyth, Kat Gruenewald and Kate Barette are now Managers too. In the technology team, […]
The road to general code
With most journeys, we usually have a clear idea of our destination, and how to get there. However, there are often challenges along the way. The road to the general code is no different. The general code of practice (the code), formerly known as the single code, has suffered many delays. Originally expected in spring […]
Why diversity is crucial to trustee effectiveness
Our co-chief executive, Naomi L’Estrange will be on the virtual road, as she joins Danny Vassiliades and XPS, for their webinar on the topic of Diversity and Inclusion on Trustee Boards. Taking place on Wednesday 29th November (3pm to 4pm), the panel will be discussing why diversity is important, and how trustee boards can become more inclusive […]