We are delighted to announce the appointment of Andrew Scopes as a Client Director of MHM Trustee Services. Andrew brings a depth of actuarial experience to the team and a huge commitment to ensuring the long-term benefits of pension schemes such as financial security and mental wellbeing are understood by members and scheme managers alike. Read on to find out more about Andrew…
Tell us about yourself
I live in Leeds with my wife, three children and our dog and am an elected councillor for the area in which I live, which fulfils my enjoyment of a challenge and of solving problems.
I’m a Leeds United fan, living in walking distance of the stadium, and have the privilege of being on the Club’s Foundation Trustee board – where we aim to use the power of the football club and sport to make Leeds a great place to live!
I chair the Adults Health and Active Lifestyles Scrutiny Board which oversees the annual spending of more than £2.5 billion on health across the Leeds area. I am lead member for Child Friendly Leeds which aims to make Leeds the best place to grow up.
My daughter, who is nearly 17 is doing her A levels – including further maths which, makes me very pleased. My middle child is in year 10 and my youngest is in year 7, having started secondary school last year.
What took you into a career in pensions?
I trained to be a pensions actuary when I left university. I find pensions fascinating, especially how legal documents written decades ago can have profound, unintended, implications for benefits now.
I’ve always focused on the trustee side as security of member benefits is something that I strongly believe in. Financial security is a significant factor in wellbeing. The decisions you make as you get older are less pressured and they’re your choices. I feel we don’t talk about it enough.
In 2018 I stepped down as an actuary and focused on being a councillor. However, I stayed connected to the pensions industry as I had a quasi-trustee role with the West Yorkshire Pension Fund (WYPF), which is a £20 billion local government pension fund. Now is the time, I feel, for me to return to the industry.
How will MHM’s clients benefit from your skills and experience?
Throughout my career I have been able to see the value of pensions and the security they can offer people when they get to retirement age.
Equally, in my role as a councillor I meet people who don’t have a secure pension and I can see how much that negatively affects their wellbeing. It feels like helping pension security is definitely something that benefits people.
I aim to use my deep technical knowledge based on my time as an actuary alongside my practical experience with the WYPF and my people skills developed as an elected official to ensure strong funding and governance for pension scheme members and no dramas for sponsors.
As a pensions actuary, I advised pensions schemes on all aspects of managing their fund, from scheme funding to journey planning in a wide range of private sector schemes.
In the WYPF, the pension environment is different due to the size and value and the covenant of the local authority sponsors compared to a sponsoring employer. However, my experience will fully support our clients’ pension schemes as they address legislative changes.
What are you looking forward to most, working at MHM?
The people in the team are genuinely lovely and have welcomed me really well. I’m looking forward to being back in a professional financial services working environment, delivering tangible results for our clients.
I think the new pension scheme funding framework will be a great opportunity for me to use my experience and increase my knowledge and help pension schemes on their journey. I like meeting new people and understanding their perspectives and hugely look forward to doing just that at MHM.
Finally, what’s life like for you away from the office?
I love running, coffee, the outdoors and am involved in my local church. Over the last half-term, I took two of my children up Scafell Pike and I’m a regular park runner. I like to get involved in my community and help organise a local annual gala.
You can contact Andrew by email at andrew.scopes@sandccarsalesharrogate.co.uk or call 07860400645.