The latest hires, promotions and appointments for the week ending 5 December 2025.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is advertising for two non-executive directors for the Pensions Regulator. In a job posting, the department said it was seeking individuals for five-year terms.
Pensions minister Torsten Bell said in an introductory statement to the job advert: “As the pensions market transforms in the face of major reforms such as the introduction of megafunds, TPR will also need to evolve to ensure it is stewarding the market towards our priorities of economic growth while continuing to ensure the best possible retirement outcomes.”
The regulator was “transforming the way it works, to be a risk-based regulator that requires new capabilities and behaviours”, Bell added.
Directors will be expected to help oversee TPR’s work and provide feedback, as well as represent the regulator publicly and act as a “critical friend” to staff, the advert stated.
The roles pay £17,992 each for 26 days’ work a year. The deadline for applications is 5 January 2026.
Professional trustee firm Zedra has appointed Matt Race-Pridding as head of “Trust Essentials”, the company’s sole trustee operations.
Race-Pridding has worked at Zedra for 10 years and is currently a client director following a promotion earlier this year. His new responsibilities include leading the growth and development of Trust Essentials, the company said in a statement.
“Many businesses find that managing a legacy defined benefit scheme involves unique challenges, often requiring a disproportionate amount of time and resources,” Race-Ridding said. “We know that for many employers, finding people with the right skills, time and confidence to act as trustees has become increasingly difficult, especially while trying to deliver value, control costs, and ensure robust governance.”
He added: “Smaller schemes deserve the same quality of resource and expertise as their larger counterparts, so we’ve a solution that makes independent trusteeship accessible, affordable, and effective through economies of scale – meaning all schemes can benefit from clearer governance, faster decisions and reduced management time.”
Wave of promotions at IGG
Independent Governance Group (IGG) has announced a number of promotions across its business.
They include Lewis Drew, Luke Wilcox, and Sue Barber, who have all become trustee directors. Meanwhile, accredited trustees Bang Hoang, Ian Wilson, Jake Churchill, Karen Collins, and Katherine Kitt have all been promoted to associate director.
Stephanie Jenner is now an associate director and IGG’s head of project management, while Eleanor Rowe, Laura Dawkin, and Laura Foley have been promoted to trustee manager positions. Adam Whitehead, Sena Erkas, and Victoria Baxter have been appointed senior associates.
Daniel Portman has been promoted to senior associate at IC Select, IGG’s supplier selection and monitoring specialist, while his colleague Hamish Gellatly is now an associate.
Grant Suckling, chief commercial officer at IGG, said the promotions reflected “the hard work, professionalism and dedication shown by colleagues across the business”.
Heatley to lead Aptia consulting arm after acquisition
Administration provider Aptia has appointed Stuart Heatley as consulting leader, following its acquisition of Atkin Pensions in a move into the consulting space.
Heatley has more than 30 years of experience in the pensions industry. He joins from Capita, where he worked for 11 years, most recently as global practice leader at Capita Pensions Solutions.
In his new role, Heatley will lead the integration of Atkin Pensions and be responsible for expanding Aptia’s offerings.
He said: “The addition of consulting and actuarial services to [Aptia’s] existing pensions capabilities will allow us to deliver even greater value to our clients and support them through the complexities of pension management now and in the future.”
CFO appointment for Howden and Barnett Waddingham
Carla Hammond has been appointed chief financial officer for Barnett Waddingham and its new parent company Howden’s Health & Employee Benefits division.
Hammond will lead financial strategy, governance and performance across the company’s employee benefits business, Howden said in a statement.
She joins from Jones Lang LaSalle, where she spent 18 years in senior finance leadership roles, most recently as head of finance for the UK and Ireland.
Howden said Hammond’s appointment was part of its efforts to expand the “partnership” between Howden Health & Employee Benefits and Barnett Waddingham, since it acquired the pensions consultancy in March.
Ex-ITM chair Howorth joins Lumera board
Technology firm Lumera has named Duncan Howorth to its board of directors.
Howorth previously served as chair of ITM, which Lumera acquired in 2024. Since then, he has acted as a senior adviser to the company’s UK business. He currently serves as a non-executive director at master trust NatWest Cushon.
Jonas Alfredson, CEO of Lumera Group, said: “Duncan made significant contributions to Lumera’s successful integration with ITM, and now, looking forward, we are fortunate to have access to his expertise when charting the next phase of growth.”
Lumera said Howorth would replace Thomas Bill Revland on the board.
