Risk expert Claire O'Neill joins Hymans Robertson
Hymans Robertson has appointed Claire O’Neill as a consultant in its risk transfer team. James Mullins, Head of Risk Transfer, said her experience will be “a great addition to our successful and growing team of experts.”
Through the sale of a financial product called an annuity, a company who originally was responsible for the pension fund can essentially place the assets of a plan and the responsibility for paying for it into the hands of a life insurance company. In such a pension risk transfer, the insurer makes money if it can earn more from investing the assets than it has to pay out – and the currently roaring stock market means deals are accelerating.
Investment consultancy Hymans Robertson’s risk transfer team works with schemes and insurers to prepare their pension schemes for changing markets. Amid an uptick in buy-ins, buy-outs, longevity swap and non-traditional risk transfer options in the sector, Claire O’Neill’s arrival as a Risk Transfer Consultant will help the firm meet additional demand for these services.
Mullins added, “We have no doubt that the remainder of this year, and into 2022, will be a successful time for our clients and a busy time for our team. By the end of the year, we expect to have led the advice on close to 20% of the total buy-in and buy-out market this year.”
O’Neill joins the firm from Mercer where she held a number of roles including senior analytical analyst and risk transfer analyst. Throughout her career, she has worked and advised on a variety of bulk annuity transactions, ranging from £13 million to £1 billion in size.
Commenting on her new challenge, O’Neill added, “I am thrilled to join the exceptional risk transfer team at Hymans Robertson. The second half of 2021 has already been an incredibly busy time for transactions, and I am excited to be helping our clients on their de-risking journeys, as well as embracing the opportunities posed by developments in the risk transfer market.”