Trustee Workbench (London) 2025
Trustee Workbench (London) 2025
PMI’s new and improved half-day workbench is designed exclusively for pension scheme trustees, offering a series of targeted training sessions on key topics relevant to their role. This focused program provides trustees valuable insights and practical knowledge to enhance their governance, compliance, and decision-making capabilities. By addressing critical areas that matter most to trustees, Trustee Workbench ensures they have the tools and understanding necessary to manage their pension schemes and fulfil their responsibilities effectively.
Places are extremely limited and reserved for PMI Trustees, we advise registering early to avoid disappointment.
If you are a non-member interested in attending, we kindly ask that you fill out this form. If any places remain nearer the time we will be in touch. If you'd like to register to become a Trustee member and secure your space today, more details can be found here.
Find details on Trustee Workbench (Edinburgh) taking place 4 November 2025, click here.
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Fees
PMI Trustees: Free
Non-members: If you are interested in joining, please register your interest (details in the event description), we will contact you in April if any places are available. The non-member cost will be £375 (+VAT). -
In-person
event -
5+
trainers -
CPD
4
Event Details
THE BASICS
Immersive half day program comprised of focused training style sessions. Each session is designed to deliver targeted material, fostering an action learning environment. Participants will engage in collaborative learning sets aimed at achieving specific objectives that enhance skills and knowledge.
Key features:
- Concise and impactful: A structured morning session covering essential trustee responsibilities
- Expert-Led learning: Sessions facilitated by leading industry professionals, regulators, and investment specialists
- Interactive and practical: Real-world case studies, scenario-based learning, and decision-making exercises
- Live Q&A: Direct access to industry experts for tailored advice
- CPD-certified: Earn CPD credits to enhance your trustee knowledge
- Professional Trustees
- Lay Trustees
Mayer Brown LLP, 201 Bishopsgate EC2M 3AF, London
Agenda
This welcome will outline the objective's for the day's workbench - providing practical, insightful sessions focused on what trustees need to know and consider driven by case studies and real-world scenarios.
Pension trustees play an essential role. But in today's volatile, and increasingly regulated environment Trustees must not only ensure compliance and manage risks, but also oversee strategic projects and continually anticipate future challenges. This session will explore some of those future challenges and how trustees could best manage competing demands and projects.
Key learning points:
- Trustee duties and legal obligations
- New regulations and compliance updates for 2025
- Case studies on effective Governance
- Managing conflicts of interest
- Best practices for decision-making
Join AXA IM for an overview of how fixed income markets have performed from Truss to Trump and how that could impact pension scheme investing today. AXA IM looks at key themes that pension schemes could consider when investing in fixed income markets today from credit spread levels, to cashflows and climate change.
Key learning points:
- What recent market movements have meant for pension schemes, their investments, and the future
- The benefits of credit & why it should be a strategic allocation for UK DB Schemes
- How cashflow driven investing fits in a pension scheme portfolio
- How to enhance value in credit portfolios
- Integrating sustainability in bond portfolios
Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more and more commonplace, with a recent survey finding that pension schemes are expected to have “widely adopted” AI within the next ten years. In this practical session, we will explore how some service providers to pension schemes are already using AI and how they might use it in the future. We will work through some practical examples, highlighting how AI can impact your role as trustees, as well as considering potential risks and how to manage them.
Key learning points:
By the end of this session, you will have an understanding of how service providers to pension schemes are using AI as well as the potential benefits and risk of using AI. You will have a clear insight into your responsibilities as a trustee as they relate to the use of AI in your pension scheme and will take away some practical actions that you can be taking now to mitigate potential risks.
Discover how to transform passive members into active participants. This session will delve into how communication can build trust, demystify complex pension concepts, and generating meaningful engagement to drive better outcomes for your members.
Key learning points:
- Building trust with members
- Simplifying complex pension information
- Managing member expectations in volatile markets
This panel session will focus on key themes from the day's sessions and invite participants to consider what actions they will take from today into their next Trustee meeting.
Trainers
Hear from the experts... More information soon.
Bruno is a Senior Solutions Strategist for AXA IM in London, focussed on designing tailored fixed income mandates for institutional clients such as DB and DC pension schemes. Bruno leads the strategic implementation of Responsible Investment, predominantly climate integration and net zero alignment, in Buy and Maintain and wider fixed income mandates.
Bruno started his career at Aon Hewitt as an Investment Consultant in 2011, before moving across to the Fiduciary Management team as a portfolio manager in 2013. There, he worked for five years creating and managing fund-of-funds for Defined Benefit pension schemes including an innovative pooled solution for small pension schemes and a low risk bond fund. Bruno then worked at Wells Fargo Asset Management as an Investment Specialist, before joining AXA IM in 2020.
Bruno holds a BSc in Industrial Economics from the University of Warwick and is a CFA Charterholder.
Caroline Hopper is a Lead Consultant at Quietroom, an insight-led communications consultancy. In her 10 years there, she’s helped asset managers communicate with investment consultants, helped fiduciary managers tell their story to trustees, and helped trustee boards talk to their members – in both the calm and the storm. Caroline’s an ambassador for the Insuring Women’s Futures programme, a CFA UK Certificate in ESG holder, and regular public speaker on the power of pensions. She also worked with Richard Curtis to set up Make My Money Matter, a campaign calling for the trillions of pounds invested in our UK pensions to build a better world.
Esther White has over 15 years’ experience advising companies and trustees on all aspects of pensions. This includes advising on pension issues arising from complex corporate re-structuring, mergers and acquisitions, de-risking and winding up. She has experience of scheme funding arrangements, contingent asset agreements, liaising with the Pensions Regulator and the PPF. She advises on scheme documentation, trustees powers and duties, legislative changes and case law developments.
Ferdy Lovett is a partner at specialist pensions law firm Sackers. He advises trustee and employer clients from a wide range of industries on technical and strategic matters. He understands the perspectives of different stakeholders in pension projects and the need to work collaboratively to get the end results desired. A keen follower of initiatives that support access to and engagement with pensions, Ferdy has particular expertise in auto-enrolment, master trusts and the legal aspects of pension dashboards – supporting clients in the digitalisation of the pensions landscape.
Helen Parrott advises trustees and employers on all aspects of pensions law including documentation, administration, disputes and funding. She also has experience of advising trustees on the employer's covenant in relation to corporate activity and insolvency with particular experience of scheme mergers as well as investment issues including advice for trustees on establishing a common investment fund.
Helen joined Mayer Brown in 2007.
Katy Harries is an associate director at Sackers. She sits in the firm’s Know-how team, having been a client-facing lawyer for over ten years. In her current role, she focuses on keeping both clients and colleagues up to date with all relevant developments affecting the pensions industry. Katy has a particular interest in AI in pensions, and how it can be utilised by members as well as trustees. Additionally, Katy is passionate about pensions dashboards and is committed to improving equality, diversity, and inclusion within the pensions sector.
Karen is Retirement Communication Director at Gallagher’s employee communication and experience practice. Combining excellent pensions knowledge with a proven track record in developing engaging communications strategies, she helps trustees and heads of pensions empower members to make informed decisions about their financial future.
An accredited member of the International Association of Business Communicators and a regular speaker at prominent industry events, Karen has more than 35 years’ experience in senior strategic roles in both retirement and corporate communication. She was previously Head of Engagement at Anthony Hodges Consulting (AHC) the specialist pensions communication consultancy.
Karen passionately believes that effective communications can help people feel different about pensions and change their behaviours so that they can enjoy their life after work in exactly the way they want.
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