Three new Committee Members Appointed to Standard Life’s Independent Governance Committee

id

• Rachel Haworth, Jo Hill, and Andrew Milligan join the Independent Governance Committee for Standard Life pension scheme members.

Standard Life, part of Phoenix Group, has made a trio of new appointments to its Independent Governance Committee (IGC) which oversees the interests of over 2.5 million workplace personal pension scheme members.

Rachel Haworth, Jo Hill, and Andrew Milligan bring a wealth of experience to the IGC, including expertise in customer experience, consumer interest and protection, and financial and investment markets. Jo Hill joined the IGC in June 2022 and has replaced Sheila Gunn who retired from the Committee in January 2022, following nearly seven years’ service as an Independent Member. Andrew Milligan also joined in June and will replace Ingrid Kirby (one of the original members of the Standard Life IGC from 2014), who will retire from the Committee at the end of September of this year. Venetia Trayhurn, who steps down in November 2022, will be replaced by Rachel Haworth who joined the Standard Life IGC in August 2022.

• Jo Hill: Jo Hill joins the IGC having held senior executive roles in financial services regulation and consumer advocacy. As a Director of Market Intelligence, Data and Analysis at the Financial Conduct Authority, Jo was responsible for the creation of its approach to vulnerability and access in financial services. She pioneered a shift change in The Pension Regulator’s initial approach to value for money where she held the office of Executive Director for Strategy and Risk between 2018 and 2021. Jo is also a Trustee of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute and a non-executive director of the Gambling Commission, championing greater focus on consumer outcomes.
• Rachel Haworth: Rachel joined the IGC as an independent member in August 2022. She is a customer-focussed leader with extensive experience in the financial services industry, including HSBC First Direct and most recently as Customer Experience Director for Coventry Building Society. Rachel’s expertise spans strategy, marketing, digital transformation, risk management and cultural leadership. She is also a Non-Executive Director for Mansfield Building Society.
  
  Rachel is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. She has a personal passion for ensuring customers are treated fairly and is particularly keen to make sure consumers, including those considered vulnerable, get value for money and good outcomes from their pension decisions.
• Andrew Milligan: Andrew is an independent economist and investment consultant, who has 35 years’ experience in financial markets, most notably at Aviva Investors as Head of Economic Research and Business Risk and then Aberdeen / Standard Life Investments as Head of Global Strategy. He currently has a portfolio of roles, including sitting on the investment committee of the Health Foundation endowment, as an Advisory Board member for the Devlin Mambo consultancy, especially concerned with ESG advice, and an investment adviser to chartered financial planners Balmoral Asset Management, part of the Progeny Group.
  
  Andrew is also a Fellow and Council member of the Society of Professional Economists, a Board member of the Asia Scotland Institute, and a Fellow of the RSA. He received an O.B.E. in 2015 for services to innovation and the economy.

David Hare, Chair of the Standard Life independent Governance Committee, said: "As I welcome the new members to our harmonised IGC, I’d also like to thank Sheila Gunn, Ingrid Kirby, and Venetia Trayhurn for their service in advancing the interests of scheme members. We have recruited strongly, and I am delighted with the calibre of the new appointees to the Committee. Their collective skillset and track-record demonstrates a quality and energy that matches the ambitious drive and focus of the Standard Life business colleagues with whom we work alongside to secure the best outcomes for scheme members."

Within Phoenix Group, which incorporates Standard Life, Phoenix Life and ReAssure, membership of the Independent Governance Committee for each company is harmonised. The three newly appointed Committee members will therefore also join the IGCs of Phoenix Life and ReAssure.

-Ends-

Enquiries 

Standard Life Independent Governance Committee members:
Dr David Hare – Chair and Independent Member
Rachel Haworth – Independent Member
Jo Hill – Independent Member
Andrew Milligan – Independent Member
Venetia Trayhurn – Independent Member
Steven Blight – Employee Member
Rona Cameron – Employee Member

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
• The value of investments can go down as well as up and may be worth less than originally invested.