PMI urges pensions industry to ensure skills match pace of technological change
Pension organisations risk creating a skills gap if investment in technology is not matched by investment in professional expertise, the Pensions Management Institute (PMI) has warned.
Delivering the opening keynote at the PMI’s PensTech & Admin Summit 2026, Helen Forrest Hall, Chief Strategy Officer at the PMI, warned that the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence and automation is increasing, rather than reducing, the need for skilled and professionally accountable pensions professionals.
As technology takes on a greater role in administration and decision-making, she said the industry must retain the expertise needed to challenge automated outputs, identify incomplete data and take responsibility for decisions affecting members.
“As technology becomes more sophisticated, the need for professional expertise becomes greater, not less,” Helen Forrest Hall said.
“Technology investment without people investment creates risk. People investment without technology investment creates limitation. The future requires both.”
She urged pension organisations to consider whether their teams have the skills required for the next decade, whether governance structures adequately reflect emerging technologies, and whether the profession is developing its next generation quickly enough.
And she warned that failure to invest in capability with the same enthusiasm as technology could create a gap that becomes increasingly difficult to close.
“Pensions professionals need greater expertise to oversee them, challenge them and use them responsibly. If we fail to build that capability now, the gap will become harder to close,” she said.
“The future of pensions will not be decided by technology alone. It will be decided by the people who know how to use that technology wisely, responsibly and effectively.”
The PMI PensTech and Admin Summit 2026 brings together pensions professionals to examine the technology and operational challenges reshaping the industry. Pensions Dashboards, AI and automation, digital transfers, cyber resilience, data and the changing role of administration were all debated with a focus on how innovation can improve member outcomes and create a more efficient, future-ready pensions system.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
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Read Helen’s speech here
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The Pensions Management Institute (PMI) is the UK’s leading professional body for those working in pensions and retirement savings. With over 10,000 members, the PMI represents the broadest range of pensions professionals and trustees in the country.
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Its members are responsible for managing and advising some of the world’s largest pension schemes, making key decisions on substantial financial matters. With more than £1 trillion invested in UK pensions, PMI members play a vital role in shaping the nation’s financial future. With five decades of experience, PMI remains at the forefront of pensions education and thought leadership.
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