Online symposium using interactive Zoom.
Thursday, November 5th from 6:00pm until 8:00pm, UK time
If you are ready to book your place, use the button below;
Otherwise read on for further details…
For any queries please contact us.
Sponsorship opportunities available – please get in touch
Executive summary; scroll down for the programme
Without being too dramatic about it, it’s easy to conclude that the pensions sector has never been as challenged as it is right now.
Some within the TTF pensions community are concerned the pensions and investment markets are still not yet delivering the outcomes they should be; and are wondering what’s holding back progress.
Are there conflicts of interest in the system?
Is the pensions sector starting to show signs of becoming self-serving?
Is the focus drifting towards the ongoing commercial success of the pensions industry, rather than on driving the best possible outcomes for pension savers?
Is the operating framework that governs the sector too influenced by short-termism driven by regulatory, political and policymaking expediency?
Some are concerned about many aspects of today’s pensions market, including
- The persistent problem of ineffective disclosure on costs and charges
- The whole value for money agenda; is enough happening quickly enough?
- Clunky and clumsy, legacy tech systems that create a needlessly high cost base for the sector that thwarts the optimisation of outcomes
- Whether ESG reporting is actually working well enough
- The challenge of differentiating between authentic responsible investing and what might just be greenwash
- Whether the existing trustee model is fit for purpose
- Pension scams; particularly those relating to transfers out of DB schemes
- Worryingly low levels of engagement with scheme members
- Comms that most members still find baffling; linked to the previous point, maybe?
- The threat to valuable tax concessions, given the state of the economy
- Whether the pensions dashboard is going to deliver
- Whether the regulatory framework is actually delivering on its statutory duties
- The seismic impact of Covid-19 on funding levels; and lots more
Clearly, there is going to be a great deal to discuss!
If you want real and meaningful improvements to the pensions system please ‘stand up.not stand by’ – we need all the help we can get to galvanise support for positive, progressive and purposeful reform.
Please do join us for what promises to be an interesting, engaging and thought-provoking event.
There will be a range of stakeholders involved, including some of our Ambassadors and members of our TTF International community.
We’ll also be touching on a range of insights, ideas and initiatives that are referenced in our new book, entitled
“Why we must rebuild trustworthiness and confidence in financial services; and how we can do it.”
Please get involved and be part of the solution.
Scroll down for further info, speaker details and to make bookings
Who should participate?
This online event will be of particular interest to individuals and organisations that authentically align with the idea that the financial services sector is important and that there is scope for improvement in how it works.
You can expect to be amongst progressively minded and collaboratively minded people.
On the basis that “progress begins with realism” we’ll be running the event as a forum to enable everybody to “say it as they see it.” We will be facilitating the kind of candid yet constructive discussion that is needed to help move matters forward.
We don’t think any one person or organisation has all the answers; and we also think that all answers are worth listening to, so if you’ve got a point of view that you’d like to share, and are keen to hear the views of others, this is definitely an event for you.
This symposium will cover important topics that will be of particular interest to:
- Think Tanks and Civil Society Groups with an interest in the financial ecosystem
- Economists
- Industry Observers, Commentators; the Media in General
- Policymakers
- Regulators
- Politicians interested in the financial services sector
- Market Conduct Professionals
- Bankers and representatives of Banking organisations
- Risk Management Professionals
- Compliance Professionals
- Fiduciaries
- Financial Services Trade Bodies and Professional Associations
- Academics and researchers in governance, stewardship, ethics, conduct and compliance throughout the financial services sector.
Format
We will be using Zoom.
We will be structuring the event in such a way that it will be as engaging and as interactive as we can possibly make it. We’ll be working hard to create as “life-like” an event as possible, with every opportunity taken to create interaction and engagement.
There will be several presentations with Q&A sessions and an open discussion and debate session towards the end.
Here’s the programme and timings, so far*
6:00pm BST
Welcome to the symposium, introductions and initial exploration of the main issues; plus “Why we must rebuild trustworthiness and confidence in financial services; and how we can do it” by
Andy Agathangelou FRSA
Founder, Transparency Task Force; Governor, Pensions Policy Institute; Chair of the Secretariat Committee to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Pension Scams; former Founding Chair, Friends of Automatic Enrolment; former Founding Chair, Association of Member Nominated Trustees
6:20pm BST
Presentation #1, for 10 minutes + 5 minutes Q&A with facilitated discussion by
Charlotte Cartwright
Legal Director – Pensions, Eversheds Sutherland
Charlotte joined the Eversheds Sutherland pensions team in 2019 and has over 10 years of experience in advising trustees and employers on all aspects of pensions advisory work. As part of this work Charlotte has worked with a number of trustees/employers deciding whether/if so how to help members access IFAs, and has helped design and implement market leading governance structures in this area.
Charlotte is actively involved in developing pensions law in the UK, including in her role on the legislative and parliamentary sub-committee of the Association of Pension Lawyers. Charlotte regularly writes on, and speaks at events about, pensions.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlotte-cartwright-405321152/
…and
Steven Hull
Partner, Eversheds Sutherland
Steven joined Eversheds from Ashurst in May 2014 as a Partner in the Human Resources Practice Group, specialising in pensions law. Steven was previously the head of the Ashurst pensions department and prior to that headed up the pensions practice in the London office of a major US law firm.
With over 25 years’ experience, Steven is recognised in the leading clients guides to law firms (Chambers & Partners and Legal 500) as a leader in his field. He is praised for his pragmatic and commercial approach.
Steven advises trustees and public and private company employers on all aspects of pensions law. As part of this, Steven advises regularly on pension scheme restructurings including the merger of occupational pension schemes, the closure of schemes to the future accrual of benefits, changes in benefit structures, deficit reduction strategies, including asset-backed funding arrangements, reservoir trusts and escrow accounts, scheme funding negotiations including disputes before the Pensions Regulator, together with the intricacies of pensions legislation, documentary changes, trustee and corporate pensions governance.
6:35pm BST
Presentation #2, for 10 minutes + 5 minutes Q&A with facilitated discussion, by
Ian Neale
Director, Aries Insight
Aries Pension & Insurance Systems Ltd is the industry’s leading independent pensions technical service provider with a mission to make sense of the morass of legislation. As a Director, Ian is particularly responsible for sales and marketing as well as the content of the Aries website. He is passionate about customer service.
Ian is a science graduate of Monash and Loughborough Universities and has spent over 30 years working for the UK pensions industry. A frequent contributor to the pensions press, Ian represents Aries on the DC Committee of the Society of Pensions Professionals and the ILAG Pensions Technical Practitioner Group.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-neale-40a6514/
Click the button below to download Ian’s slides:
6:50pm BST
Short leg-stretch and comfort break, for 10 minutes
7:00pm BST
Presentation #3, for 10 minutes + 5 minutes Q&A with facilitated discussion, by
Ian Beestin
Co-founder, Money Alive
Ian has over 30 years experience in the financial services industry.
He co-founded his most recent venture, Money Alive, in 2015.
Money Alive has developed an award-winning Video Engagement Platform as well as a range of interactive member educational boxsets. Since it was launched commercially in 2018 the platform has been used to delivery over 150,000 videos with each creating a report of member engagement and understanding.
Before Money Alive, Ian was marketing director of Tilney Investment Management and CEO of their unit business.
Earlier in the year he co-founded the ISA Shop Ltd which grew rapidly and was subsequently sold to the IFC Group.
He began his career working in marketing at General Accident Life.
7:15pm BST
Presentation #4, for 10 minutes + 5 minutes Q&A with facilitated discussion, by
Henry Tapper
CEO, AgeWage
Henry is an entrepreneur who helps people make good pension decisions.
He has founded AgeWage and the Pension PlayPen to map the pensions genome and ensure everyone gets data driven information on value for money.
Henry is a well known blogger at henrytapper.com.
He supports the growth in workplace pension take-up through auto-enrolment.
7:30pm BST
The “Just a Minute” Round
Inspired by the BBC Radio 4 programme, we have asked a selection of our attendees to spend just a minute sharing their thoughts on what has been covered during the symposium.
But unlike the Radio 4 programme our speakers won’t be penalised for hesitation, repetition or deviation!
Jane Hodges
Managing Director and Chartered Financial Planner, Money Honey Financial Planning
Sital Cheema
Sustainability Investment Consultant, Jaanu Consulting
7:40pm BST
Open discussion & debate, 15 minutes
7:55pm BST until 8:00pm BST
Final conclusions; suggested next steps and close to the formal proceedings.
However, for those that want it…
8:00pm BST until 8:30pm BST
Please click below to book your place
For any queries please contact us.
