Vidett’s key themes for 2026
What is it about a new year that’s so exciting? For the first time, as we head into 2026, I asked AI – and that, perhaps, in itself demonstrates how rapidly our world is changing. So here at Vidett, we’re embracing the ‘fresh start effect’ and channelling our ‘collective energy’ to share with you our key themes for 2026.
Our key themes reflect the principal areas where we make a difference for our clients, whether it’s helping them overcome a problem, meet a requirement or deal with something that impacts them. So, what are they?
Efficient boards
This is about enabling a board to make high-quality informed decisions in a timely way through strong governance, effective collaboration, deep knowledge and diversity of thought.
From board composition and structure, processes and practices through to culture and dynamics, there’s lots of ways we help clients make their boards truly efficient.
Vidett leads the way in governance and trusteeship and those services are vital here, whether we’re acting as professional trustee and/or scheme secretary. Critical to board efficiency, our experts share knowledge and experience in areas including board effectiveness, general code compliance, adviser reviews, communications, equity, diversity and inclusion (ED&I), sustainability and fiduciary management.
Effective transition
Here we help clients achieve change through strategic planning, sharing knowledge, clear communication and excellent execution.
What makes a difference? Working with clients to define a clear strategy and objectives, effectively assess options and efficient operational delivery are the backbone of this theme. Transition is a big topic affecting defined benefit (DB) and defined contribution (DC) schemes and the people involved with them – trustee boards, sponsors and in-house pension teams in particular.
Some of the key areas of transition we help clients get right include moving from a trustee board to sole trusteeship, transferring from in-house to outsourced support, moving an own trust DC scheme to a master trust, DB risk transfer (whether that’s moving to an insured buy-in or buy-out, master trust, consolidator or superfund) and helping schemes and their members through PPF assessment where a sponsor enters insolvency or restructures.
Future value
Get the first two right and you’re well on the way to achieving great value for clients, but this is an important theme in its own right. It’s about maximising value and outcomes into the future by being open-minded, harnessing new ideas and innovative solutions and using technology smartly.
As we’re client centric – where our clients are typically employers or members – we’re all about offering value and a trusted pair of hands to achieve great outcomes. Central to this is helping clients navigate strategic planning, understand market developments and aligning needs and value.
For DB schemes, key areas we’re working with clients on include good governance and trusteeship to either achieve buy-out or operate a pension scheme efficiently for the longer term looking at run on, surplus release and stability of outcomes (especially given many business are cash stretched in the current market). Then there’s developing the skills that will be needed by the trustees (or governance committee members) of the future. Master trusts, large schemes, superfunds and other consolidators will all require trustees who bring wider skills to the board than we’ve seen in the past. Think non-executive director (NED) who are open-minded, can think more commercially and bring expertise in wider risk management, technology, proposition development etc.
For DC schemes (trust or contract based), getting your governance structure right is essential to achieving value for members, sponsors and providers alike. This is about member outcomes, cost to offer these in house and cost of governance (which is growing). The model used to provide DC benefits is just a tax wrapper, so understanding what you want to offer then seeking it in the market and having ongoing governance oversight is essential.
If you pay contributions to any outsourced company, you want your governance model to measure the service you’re paying for – especially when that pot of contributions is growing fast over time. The DC world is evolving fast, as are member needs, so we help clients get that effective governance model in place, oversee the provision and offer suggestions as to when to change. For employers, this means your pension plan remains a valuable recruitment tool and continues to be seen as a benefit to employees (the pension scheme members) who have worked hard for your company. It should not be a dead cost and a set and forget strategy.
For sponsors, maximising future value is high up on the agenda. From helping them achieve it through tailored outsourced solutions for pensions management, governance and trusteeship to looking beyond pension schemes into healthcare and life assurance benefits, 2026 is looking to be an exciting year!
