The Pensions Management Institute (PMI) has appointed 40 new trainees to its Trustee Accelerator Programme (TAP).

The appointments reflect a diverse demographic of individuals across age cohorts, education levels, and professional experience. Their professional careers vary from portfolio and entrepreneurial ventures to roles outside financial services and pensions. TAP was initially developed as a pilot by the PMI and Standard Life, aiming to help those with little or no pensions experience to join the profession. Following the two-year pilot, the programme was expanded with the support of Standard Life Master Trust, Scottish Widows Master Trust, Aviva Master Trust, and LifeSight – WTW’s master trust, which are all sponsors of the updated programme. “Selecting the next 40 trainees is a powerful moment for TAP and for the future of trusteeship," said PMI CEO, Gareth Tancred. "This cohort brings an extraordinary mix of backgrounds, perspectives and motivations - from those starting out in their careers to seasoned professionals changing direction. It’s exactly this diversity that will strengthen decision making and improve outcomes for savers."  

Warwickshire Pension Fund has appointed Northern Trust to provide global custody, valuation reporting, capital call execution and performance measurement services.

The Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) fund, which has approximately £3.6bn in pension assets, is one of 18 partner funds within the Border to Coast Pensions Partnership. Northern Trust noted that the appointment comes as LGPS funds continue to adapt their operating models in response to the government’s Fit for the Future agenda, including changes around asset pooling, governance, private markets and closer alignment between administering authorities and pools. Northern Trust head of asset owners, EMEA, Ian Hamilton, said: “At a time of meaningful change for the LGPS sector, funds are balancing day-to-day stewardship with the need to adapt for the years ahead. We look forward to supporting the fund with a range of asset servicing solutions, leveraging our experience in the sector to help them navigate the continued evolution of the LGPS landscape.”

People’s Pension has launched a personalised video welcome for new members and integrated its personalised video statements into its member app.

The new welcome service, part of the fund’s efforts to increase engagement, will initially focus on members beginning their pension-saving journey before being rolled out to all new and returning members over the coming weeks, building on the launch of personalised video statements earlier this year. Members will also now be able to access these statements directly through the People’s Pension app. The master trust said the developments form part of its investment in more personalised and accessible digital services, with the videos designed to improve understanding of pension savings and retirement planning. People’s Pension chief commercial officer, David Meliveo, commented: “By making pension information personalised, relevant and accessible, we will be helping members better understand their savings, build confidence in their retirement planning and take greater ownership of their financial future.”

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