Outgoing Pensions UK chair Emma Douglas has been confirmed as the new chair of the Pensions Regulator, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) announced today.
Douglas – who is also wealth policy director at Aviva – will take up her role on 1 July, replacing interim chair Kirstin Baker.
She has worked in investment and pensions for more than 25 years, including senior roles at Legal & General, Smart Pension, and Mercer.
The DWP said Douglas’ appointment came as the Pensions Regulator (TPR) was preparing to “play a central role in delivering reform to the pension landscape that secures long-term financial security for people in retirement”.
Douglas said: “The pension reform agenda represents one of the most significant transformations of the system in generations, and TPR has a key role in ensuring its successful delivery.
“Throughout my career in the pensions industry, I have focused on helping people achieve a sustainable income in retirement, and I look forward to continuing this work at TPR alongside the CEO and TPR’s dedicated team, so we remain a strong, adaptable, resilient and inclusive regulator.”
TPR’s chief executive Nausicaa Delfas added that Douglas’ experience would be “invaluable in helping to create a system that provides people with a sustainable income in retirement, security and value for all, and that could support UK prosperity more widely”.
Torsten Bell, the pensions minister, said: “Emma Douglas takes on this role as we deliver the most ambitious reform of the pensions landscape in a generation, all focused on making the system work harder for savers.
“TPR plays a crucial role in this and protecting the retirement savings of millions of working people across the UK, and I look forward to working with Emma to make sure every worker in this country gets the retirement they’ve worked for.”
