How TAP is unlocking confidence and diversity in pensions

Carolyn Saunders, a pensions partner at Dentons and lifelong pensions lawyer, has spent much of her career training and supporting trustees. When the Pensions Management Institute invited her to take part in the Trustee Apprenticeship Programme (TAP), she recognised a chance to be part of something new.  

As she explains, “I do a lot of trustee training, and I’ve always really enjoyed it, so I was asked to get involved in this by the PMI. I was really interested in the TAP concept as being a very different type of training programme.” 

For Carolyn, TAP’s emphasis on real interaction rather than passive learning was a major attraction. “When I’ve done training in the past, I particularly enjoyed interactive elements of that training,” she says. “So yes, it seemed like a great concept and a great opportunity to get involved.” 

Delivering Both Technical and Soft-Skills Training 

Carolyn’s contributions to TAP span a range of subjects. While pensions law is part of her expertise, she delivered sessions that stretched beyond technical content, and chaired a mock trustee meeting, which was the final element of the programme.  

“I’ve done a number of sessions which included how you deploy soft skills in meeting environments, and then obviously this final session which was a trustee meeting designed to give a real-world view,” she explains. This combination of technical knowledge, judgement, and communication is, in her view, critical for effective trusteeship. 

Motivation: Giving Back to the Pensions Community 

A strong sense of giving back is central to Carolyn’s motivation. She describes training as inherently rewarding: “No two training situations are ever the same.” Even with identical scenarios, the dynamic shifts depending on who is in the room: “It’s just totally different with different young people, and actually that’s very exciting.” 

Building Confidence and Trustee Capability 

Carolyn has seen first-hand how TAP empowers participants to grow in confidence over time. “Many said when they started the programme a couple of years ago, they would never have had the confidence to speak out at a meeting in the way they’ve done today.” 

She believes this long-term, immersive approach is vital. New trustees often lack the practical experience that builds confidence. TAP helps them realise that trusteeship isn’t about knowing everything – it’s about thinking clearly and asking the right questions. As she puts it: “Ultimately it’s all about common sense and understanding that it is your responsibility at the end of the day.” 

Challenging Perceptions of the Pensions Industry 

Carolyn also sees TAP as a way to reshape outdated perceptions of pensions as dull or inaccessible. “People perceive pensions as being quite dull, but actually it’s so incredibly important,” she says. The sector spans everything from the economy to individual wellbeing: “It involves a great deal of money… it’s important to the economy… and it’s incredibly important to individuals.” 

By exposing participants to this breadth, TAP helps them see pensions as meaningful, impactful, and intellectually stimulating. 

The Importance of Diversity and Diversity of Thought 

TAP brings together people from a broad range of backgrounds, and for Carolynine, this diversity is one of the programme’s strongest assets. She stresses that visible diversity is only part of the story: “People’s differences are often hidden… so getting a group of people around the table who just think very differently from each other… that’s really what it’s about.” 

Seeing participants challenge one another constructively and notice issues others miss has been, in her words, “brilliant”. 

Looking Ahead 

Carolyn hopes future cohorts will continue to reflect a wide range of perspectives, ensuring better governance across the industry. TAP, she believes, is developing confident, thoughtful trustees and helping reshape the future of pensions from the ground up.