Spence & Partners (Spence), one of the leading providers of pensions advisory and data services to pensions schemes in the UK, today announces the promotions of Tom Pook as Chief Commercial Officer and Graham Newman as Chief Actuary.
Tom Pook was previously head of Spence’s Scheme Terminations Practice, focussing on pensions administration. As well as working with clients going through buy-out or wind-up activities, Tom has worked closely with the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) and trustees to guide schemes through PPF assessment periods. He has worked with clients with assets ranging from £100,000 to £1 billion and is a Fellow of the Pensions Management Institute.
Tom’s new role as Chief Commercial Officer will combine his previous role as Head of Scheme Terminations with the Head of Trustee Services role. He will be responsible for driving growth by identifying market opportunities to develop services provided by the business, as well as for revenue across the business from existing clients. He will also serve as Chair of the Spence Sales Board and will contribute to the Spence Operations Board, taking a leading role in business development and marketing of each of the Practices.
Graham Newman was previously a Scheme Actuary at Spence, having joined the firm in 2021. Over his career, he has advised on defined benefit pension schemes across a range of sectors including financial services, legal, manufacturing, charities and faith based.
In his new role as Chief Actuary, and alongside client work, Graham will take on a Lead Senior Quality Assurance Representation (SQAR) role in relation to Spence’s certification under the IFoA Quality Assurance Scheme. He will be responsible for the design, implementation, and maintenance of professional standards across the actuarial team and will lead the technical development and continued compliance of Spence’s actuarial offering. He will also advise on other actuarial technical and professional matters across the 3173 Group and will have responsibility for the reviewing and signing-off of key actuarial standard documentation.
Tom Pook comments: “It is exciting to be given the opportunity to play a leading role in driving the growth and development of Spence’s business proposition. I look forward to building upon our network of clients and working with existing clients to enhance our position as one of the leading providers of pensions advisory services to pension schemes in the UK.”
Graham Newman comments: “Since joining Spence in 2021, I have witnessed first-hand the firm’s commitment to simplifying pensions, and I am delighted to expand my role at the firm. In the current environment, the delivery of accurate data and the upholding of professional standards have arguably never been more important, and I look forward to helping to maintain Spence’s strong reputation in this regard alongside client work.”
Alan Collins, Managing Director at Spence & Partners, comments: “Both Tom and Graham have delivered excellent service for clients since they joined the firm, and their new roles are a reflection of this. I look forward to working with both of them in these integral roles for the business as we continue to strengthen our client proposition.”
