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  • Standard Life completes 150m GBP full scheme buy-in of the Sappi UK Pension Scheme
  • Bulk Purchase Annuity secures the benefits of 1,300 defined benefit pension scheme members

Standard Life, part of Phoenix Group, has concluded a £150M Bulk Purchase Annuity ("BPA") transaction covering 1,300 members of the Sappi UK Pension Scheme ("the Scheme").

As a full scheme buy-in, the transaction has enabled the Trustee and Company to significantly reduce the risks associated with its pension scheme liabilities by securing full benefits for the Scheme's members.

PwC acted as the lead advisers for the transaction, with legal advice provided by Squire Patton Boggs, and administration and project support from Deloitte.

Kieran Mistry, Senior Business Development Manager at Standard Life, commented: "We are delighted to have been able to help the Trustee secure full benefits for the Scheme's members. This is another important transaction for Standard Life, reflecting both our growth and commitment to the BPA market.

"We pride ourselves on being able to tailor our proposition to meet the needs of our clients. We were pleased to be able to work with the Trustee and its advisers to develop and offer a solution which met the specific objectives of the Trustee."

Mike Roberts of PAN Trustees UK LLP, acting as Trustee of the Scheme, said: "It is a great result to be able to secure member benefits with Standard Life which marks an important milestone in the Scheme's journey plan. I'd like to thank the Company for their continued support throughout this journey which, along with the execution of the buy-in, has been expertly managed by PwC with great support from Squires and Deloitte."

Jani Singh of PwC, lead transaction adviser, added: "To be able to execute the full scheme buy-in transaction in the current uncertain market conditions is a positive outcome. Being an independent risk transfer adviser, we were able to bring the Trustee and Company together with a shared set of objectives which provided the clarity to allow all parties to commit to the transaction. To achieve this we took a solutions focused approach, which included efficiently disposing the Scheme's illiquid assets. As schemes reach their end game destination quicker than they anticipate, we expect features such as illiquid assets and capturing market volatility to become more common."

-Ends-

Media enquiries 
For further information, photos, video content or interviews, contact:

Jennifer Smallwood
Senior PR Manager
Standard Life, part of Phoenix Group
07858 367818
Jennifer_Smallwood@standardlife.com

Notes to editors
About Standard Life

  • Standard Life is a brand that has been trusted to look after peoples' life savings for nearly 200 years
  • Today it proudly serves millions of customers who come to Standard Life directly, through advisers and through their employers' pension scheme.
  • Standard Life is part of Phoenix Group, the largest long-term savings and retirement business in the UK. We're proud to be building on nearly 200 years of Standard Life heritage together
  • Our products include a variety of Pensions, Bonds and Retirement options to suit people's needs, helping our customers to invest and save for their future. We're proud to offer a leading range of sustainable and responsible investment options.
  • We support our customers on their journey to and through retirement with comprehensive, easy-to-understand guidance so they can invest in the right way for their needs, and plan a future they feel confident about

About PwC and PwC UK Pensions

PwC's UK Pensions Risk Transfer team is a group of dedicated specialists with a focus on bringing value to UK pension schemes by providing bespoke risk transfer solutions to the Trustees and the corporate sponsors. Our risk transactions team is a core part of PwC's UK pensions practice (with 200+ pension actuaries nationally) and further derives its expertise from the wider PwC network including covenant, insurance and finance specialists to bring the whole of PwC to our clients.

At PwC, our purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. We're a network of firms in 156 countries with over 295,000 people who are committed to delivering quality in assurance, advisory and tax services. Find out more and tell us what matters to you by visiting us at PwC.

PwC refers to the PwC network and/or one or more of its member firms, each of which is a separate legal entity. Please see how we are structured for further details.

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