Barnett Waddingham appoints four new managing partners
Barnett Waddingham has appointed four new managing partners. Alex Pocock, Scott Eason, David Stoddard and Sam Meldrum will now help to lead the firm’s growth strategy.
Barnett Waddingham Senior Partner Andrew Vaughan commented, “I am delighted to welcome Alex, Scott, David and Sam to the role of managing partners. These changes to our leadership come as part of our commitment to further elevate the services we provide to pension schemes while cementing our ongoing success in our wider service offerings across risk, insurance and investment.”
Barnett Waddingham has around 150 qualified actuaries, appointed to over 330 pension schemes. The firm provides the full range of actuarial services to trustees of defined benefit (DB) pension schemes, ranging from strategic to operational, with fund sizes ranging from £1 million to over £5 billion.
The four managing partner appointments come after a year with the strongest organic growth in Barnett Waddingham’s 35-year history, and are key to its ongoing plans to maintain excellence within the pension schemes market while further strengthening its diverse offering to clients across risk, insurance, and investment.
Alex Pocock now assumes leadership and strategic oversight for Barnett Waddingham’s pension scheme and investment services. Having joined Barnett Waddingham in 2004, he has since advised some of the largest pension schemes in the UK, including several well-known master trusts and standalone trust-based schemes – with experience advising DC schemes ranging up to £25 billion, serving millions of members, as well as advising large DB schemes.
Looking ahead, he will utilise this experience to identify existing challenges and opportunities which in turn should help ensure that Barnett Waddingham clients continue to be provided with a compelling service offering.
Scott Eason assumes leadership and strategic oversight for the firm’s wider areas, which include risk consulting, insurance and longevity consulting, and self-administered schemes. He had previously led the firm’s insurance and longevity consulting business for almost a decade, specialising in investment strategy and risk management for insurance companies.
David Stoddard takes the lead on the company’s future strategy and transformation plans, ensuring that they remain client and colleague focused, while maintaining the impressive rate of growth. He brings more than 25 years of experience to the role, working in a number of strategic leadership roles across the financial services industry.
He also plays a key role in shaping Barnett Waddingham’s longer-term areas of strategic focus and engagement with the pensions, risk, insurance and investment markets to help it meet its long-term objectives as an organisation.
Sam Meldrum finally takes on responsibility for designing and delivering Barnett Waddingham's strategic business solutions and infrastructure services, which support its overall client offering, while ensuring it remains sustainable, effective and efficient. He has six years of board-level experience at the firm and was head of IT for 17 years. Meldrum also has oversight of business development, central operations, finance, marketing, people, property and technology.
Andrew Vaughan added, “These four appointments shine a light on the huge wealth of experience and knowledge within Barnett Waddingham, and our commitment to nurturing and developing the talent within the firm. These crucial appointments will enable us to deliver the best possible outcomes for its clients moving forward.”
