Kathryn Fleming named leader of DC consulting at Hymans Robertson

Kathryn Fleming has been promoted to lead Hymans Robertson’s defined contribution consulting division. She will help clients adapt to the pensions landscape as it continues to shift through 2025.

Defined contribution (DC) pension schemes see clients build up a pot of money to provide an income in retirement. Unlike defined benefit schemes, which promise a specific income, the income from a defined contribution scheme depends on factors including the amount paid in, the fund’s investment performance and the choices a person makes at retirement – meaning such a fund must be responsive to market and regulatory shifts.

Hymans Robertson’s DC consulting team, helps clients navigate the evolving pensions landscape, and drive innovation to improve outcomes for the savers of its clients. It had previously been led by Mark Jaffray, but as he moves to focus on strategic investment advice and innovation at the firm, a new head of the team has been installed.

Paul Waters, head of DC Markets at Hymans Robertson, commented, “Kathryn has played a key role in shaping our approach to decumulation. In this new role, she will support clients in adapting to the changing DC landscape and ensuring pensions equity is embedded in retirement solutions.”

Kathryn Fleming takes on the role of head of DC consulting from April 2025. She has spent her career at the firm, joining as a graduate before becoming a partner in 2019. She currently serves as head of DC At-Retirement Services, specialising in trustee and governance advisory, decumulation strategies and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in pensions.

Beyond her role at Hymans Robertson, Fleming is a trustee and governor at the Pensions Policy Institute – which she will maintain alongside her new role. She is also a member of the industry-wide Pensions Equity Group.

Commenting on her appointment, Fleming added, “The pensions market has undergone significant change and innovation in recent years, and I am excited to lead our DC business at this pivotal time. There is a great opportunity to help individual savers maximise their retirement outcomes by optimising investment returns and leveraging member-centric decumulation solutions.”