Aviva UK announces new chair of Independent Governance Committee

Colin Richardson, PTL Governance Limited, takes over from Inder Dhingra as Chair of the IGC. Colin is also Chair of Aviva Master Trust and was named Professional DC Trustee of the Year 2017 at the Pensions Insight DC Awards in 2017. As a result of Colin’s appointment, Steve Carrodus, also from PTL Governance Limited, will be stepping down from the IGC.

In other changes to Aviva’s IGC, Gurmukh Hayre and Ian Baines are joining as new independent members. 

Gurmukh is former Head of Defined Contribution (DC) pensions at KPMG and his in depth knowledge of the current market means his appointment will further boost the IGC’s DC expertise. 

Ian Baines is Head of Pensions at Nationwide and has many years experience in the workplace pension market with exposure to the needs of a wide range of employees. Aviva provides Nationwide with its workplace pension so his appointment means the IGC now has member representation.

Marcia Campbell and Robert Talbut will remain as independent members of Aviva’s IGC.

Colin Williams, MD of Workplace Benefits at Aviva, will be stepping down. This will help to create a fully independent IGC.

Stuart Gash, Pension Governance Manager at Aviva said:

“The changes we are making to Aviva’s IGC will further strengthen the level of oversight on our contract-based workplace pensions. All of the new members bring significant knowledge of the DC market, and with Ian’s passion for member engagement and communications, members and employers should have confidence that the IGC will continue to ensure Aviva is focused on delivering value for money. 

“With Robert’s investment knowledge, and Marcia’s experience of customer service, all areas of the IGC’s value for money framework will be represented.

“Colin has been doing a fantastic job at leading the trustee board who oversee Aviva Master Trust. Having him head up the IGC will allow greater continuity and ensure that all members continue to be treated fairly.

”I would like to extend my personal thanks to Inder and Steve for their dedication and enthusiasm in their roles on the committee. Their work has led to improved outcomes for a large number of customers, and I wish them both the very best in their future commitments.”

Colin Richardson, Chair of the Aviva IGC and Aviva Master Trust, said:

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_{* Master trusts: a trust-based pension is traditionally a type of pension set up by an employer for their employees. However, master trust pensions are set up by pension providers with a trustee and board to govern the scheme. Employers who choose to set up a master trust scheme are given the benefit of having a governance function, but they're generally less complex and have far lower running costs than a traditional trust-based scheme.}

Enquiries:

Ben Moss

+44 (0)117 928 5843

+44 (0)7827 832 395

ben.moss@aviva.com