Barnett Waddingham promotes 29 staff to support growth

Actuarial consultancy Barnett Waddingham has promoted 29 staff, as it bids to better handle accelerated complex client demand. The changes include 25 Associates and four Partners.

Founded in 1989, Barnett Waddingham has since grown to become the UK’s largest independent provider of actuarial, administration and consultancy services. The firm employs more than 750 employees across seven UK offices, including 64 Partners. The firm, which acts for a wide range of clients, large and small, in both the private and public sectors, has been working throughout 2018 to bolster its offering in a period of heightened demand for complex advice in the UK consulting industry.

In February, this saw the consultancy make two senior hires for its Defined Contribution consultancy, with the addition of Andy Parker as National DC Consultant and Nick Clynes as Client Relationship Manager. Now the firm has further expanded its senior headcount with the elevation of 29 staff across its operations, including four Partners.

Adam Poulson advises defined benefit (DB) schemes on risk reduction exercises, scheme funding, benefit design, and accounting disclosure, both in the UK and overseas. Prior to arriving at Barnett Waddingham in 2016, Poulson was a Senior Manager for Big Four firm EY and a Senior Consultant with Willis Towers Watson.

Barbara Fewkes specialises in actuarial and consultancy advice for UK schemes and employers, focusing on scheme governance and funding matters, including negotiations with employers, and has aided trustees of schemes winding up outside of the Pension Protection Fund. Fewkes has been with the firm since 2002, becoming an Associate and Scheme Actuary in 2012.

Jon Palin's focus is on longevity and has worked closely with the Continuous Mortality Investigation, helping to produce its Mortality Projections Model and the latest S3 series mortality tables. He also advises schemes and insurers on stochastic models and the causes of death. Palin joined Barnett Waddingham in 2014 from RMS, where he latterly held the role of Director of Actuarial Sciences.

Liam Mayne primarily advises on legacy DB plans, and has experience working with companies on mergers and acquisitions, risk reduction, scheme funding negotiations, benefit design, and accounting disclosures. After a ten year term at Aon, where he became Head of the London Corporate team before exiting in 2016, Mayne first joined Barnett Waddingham as an Associate that year.

Now, all four staff take up the role of Partner, effective immediately. Senior Partner Nick Salter said of the promotions, "As we continue to grow as a business, it is important that we focus on helping our diverse client base solve and manage the complex challenges facing them both today and in the future. Our people make this possible and I have no doubt these promotions will contribute to our success."

Associates

25 further staff were also handed promotions to the rank of Associate. These included Amid Lad in its insurance consulting division, Ross Anderson in public sector consulting, Gordon Banks in private client, and Lucy Blanchard and Steve Johnston in its workplace health and wealth service, as well as Christopher Ward, Joe Hodgskiss, Sarah Lochlund, and Sophia Heathcoat within the investment consulting wing of the firm.

Meanwhile in trustee consulting, Neil Crawshaw, Andy Smith, Claire Mills, Elizabeth Wise and Katie Huxley-Duggan have also been promoted. Finally, within pensions administration, Becky Jaques, Fatim Najafi, Helen Southwell, Jon Bowden, Sara Ryan, Claire Barnes, Simon Maxwell, Steve Ellul, Jonathan Cose, Tim Scholes, and Nick Walker have been promoted to Associate.

Commenting on the collective elevation, Salter added, "As a growing firm, with now over 1,000 employers, our people are the backbone of Barnett Waddingham and I am proud to announce four new Partner promotions and 25 new Associates this year. Each of the Partners and Associates have demonstrated their commitment to the continued growth at Barnett Waddingham and our approach to do the right thing - ensuring the best possible service for our clients.”