From designing better experiences to delivering better outcomes – Why Thomas Joy is becoming a trustee 

A New Generation of Trustee Talent 

Thomas Joy represents a new generation of pensions professionals determined to make a direct impact on savers' futures.  

A Senior Content Designer at Scottish Widows, Thomas, 32, has spent the last decade helping people navigate some of the most important financial decisions of their lives. 

Now, through the Trustee Accelerator Programme (TAP), he is taking the next step on that journey by working towards becoming a trustee himself. 

For Thomas, who lives near Edinburgh, the motivation is simple: after years of advising pension schemes and trustees, he wants to be part of the decision-making process that shapes and improves outcomes for members. 

Finding Purpose in Pensions 

Like many people in the industry, Thomas did not set out to work in pensions. After joining Royal Bank of Scotland as an HR graduate, he found himself working on a pensions project that involved helping members understand changes to a defined benefit scheme. 

That experience sparked a passion that has stayed with him ever since. 

"I really quickly caught the bug for how you help people understand and get to grips with something that's so important in their lives." 

Over the following decade, Thomas built a career focused on pensions communication, engagement and member understanding, driven by a desire to help people make informed decisions about their future. 

Where Pensions, Psychology and AI Meet 

A particular area of interest for Thomas is the relationship between pensions, human behaviour and new technology. 

Working both in consultancy and now at Scottish Widows, he has explored how AI is changing the way people access information and make financial decisions. His current role includes helping design digital experiences that are simple, intuitive and focused on member needs. 

"I've got a very deep interest at the point where pensions, human psychology and AI all meet and come together." 

He believes the pensions industry has an opportunity to learn from the best digital experiences consumers encounter elsewhere and use technology to encourage better engagement, understanding and decision-making. 

From Advisor to Trustee 

Having spent years working alongside trustees, Thomas increasingly found himself wondering whether he could make an even greater contribution. 

"I found myself thinking that I could be more effective in shaping member outcomes if I was actually in the room making the decision." 

That desire to move from advisor to decision-maker is one of the key reasons he applied for TAP. While he has significant pensions experience, he found that breaking into trusteeship remained difficult without direct trustee experience. 

TAP offered exactly what he had been searching for - a practical route to becoming trustee ready, with opportunities to learn from experienced trustees, gain real-world exposure and build the skills needed to serve on a board. 

Keeping Savers at the Heart of Every Decision 

At the centre of Thomas's ambitions is a commitment to protecting saver outcomes. 

"I just think it's so incredibly important. Ultimately, it's members who this industry was set up to serve." 

As a trustee, he hopes to combine his expertise in engagement, technology and member behaviour to help schemes make better decisions for the people they exist to support. 

For Thomas, TAP is more than a development programme. It is the opportunity to help shape the future of pensions from inside the boardroom, ensuring members remain at the heart of every decision.