Agenda

08.30 – 08.55: Registration and refreshments

08.55 – 09.00: Chair’s opening remarks

Matthew Swynnerton Chair Association of Pension Lawyers (APL)

09.00 – 09.30: OPENING KEYNOTE SPEAKER

David Walmsley Director of Trusteeship, Administration and DB Supervision The Pensions Regulator (TPR)

TPR’s David Walmsley will open the conference with a session covering the latest developments in policy and practice, mindful of the recent Pension Schemes Act and market developments.

09.30 - 10.00: Upcoming changes in the DC market

Dr Suzy Morrissey FCA Deputy Director Pensions Policy Institute

Dr Suzy Morrissey will provide an overview of two key developments in the UK DC market that have been introduced in the Pension Schemes Act 2026. Firstly, the ‘megafunds’ reform, which requires multi-employer DC pension schemes to have £25 billion of assets in their default arrangement by 2030. The government believes this will drive better returns for pension savers, and Suzy will present the international evidence on megafunds, including the risks, potential benefits, and challenges for the UK DC market.

Second, the requirement for schemes to introduce ‘Guided Retirement’ solutions for their clients, default arrangements that would provide a retirement outcome for individuals who did not actively select a decumulation option. The government is looking for members to receive more structured support when accessing their pension savings, helping them convert accumulated pension wealth into a sustainable retirement income. However, the Act only provides an overall framework, and further details will be provided in regulations after further consultation. Suzy will outline the key design and implementation challenges these changes present.

10.00 – 10.30: FIRESIDE CHAT: In conversation with..

Rebecca Burgess Private Markets Asset Allocation Investment Specialist L&G

Paul Gilbertson Senior Business Development Director L&G

While private markets funds are gaining strong momentum, recognising their long-term value early is key to overcoming traditional barriers such as the J-curve effect, enabling smoother return profiles and making these investments more accessible and effective for DC members. In this interactive fireside chat, Paul Gilbertson and Becky Burgess will share insights, along with client experiences and case studies.

10.30 – 11.00: Surplus Strategies: Promise, Pressure and Practical Reality

Jonathan Griffith Partner LCP

Surplus has become the defining question of today’s endgame, but behind the excitement, how is it really being used?

This session cuts through the rhetoric to reveal what’s happening in practice. Who is actively planning around surplus, who is holding back, and what’s driving those decisions? Drawing on LCP’s data and front-line experience, Jonathan will explore how surplus is actually being shared between members and sponsors, where and how it’s being released, and the commercial and governance tensions shaping those outcomes. He will also examine whether the Pension Schemes Act is genuinely unlocking new possibilities or simply adding another layer of complexity to an already nuanced landscape.

11.00 – 11.30: Coffee break

11.30 – 12.00: Trustee protections in the context of buy-out and wind-up

Clare Pollard Associate Arc Pensions Law

Robert Walker Partner Arc Pensions Law

Robert and Clare will be considering the package of potential protection options available to trustees in the context of buy-out and wind-up and looking at how early consideration of these options can help shape the overall journey.

12.00 - 12.30: Navigating Endgame: Risks, innovation and optimising member outcomes

Ross Breckon Senior Business Development Manager Just Group

Endgame is more than just a destination, it's a set of choices that shape the risks faced by schemes, and the long-term experience and benefits members receive. This session will explore how insurers view these risks, emerging innovation in the insurance market, and how these are supporting higher standards and improved member outcomes. 

12.30 – 13.00: Ian Connatty, Deputy CIO British Business Bank and Managing Partner, BBB Investment Services Limited (British Growth Partnership)

Session details to come

13.00 – 14.00: Lunch break

14.00 – 14.30: Navigating Uncertainty: Charting the Course to Value

Clare Routledge Client Director Vidett

Ben Salmons Client Director Vidett

In this interactive session, the audience will choose the direction of the journey and the challenges Vidett's professional trustees, Clare and Ben, will need to address to achieve value and meet objectives as we transition through a world of regulatory change.

14.30 – 15.00: Addressing Adequacy

Philip Brown Head of DC, Master Trusts and Lifetime Savings Pensions UK

Hot off the heels of the Pensions Commission’s interim report, Philip will use his session to explore the growing challenge of pension adequacy.

15.00 – 15.30: Session details to come

15.30 – 16.00: Pensions Dashboards

Chris Curry Industry Principal, Pensions Dashboards Programme  Money and Pensions Service (Maps)

This session will provide an update on pensions dashboards, with insights from recent user testing of the MoneyHelper dashboard. It will cover the latest progress on scheme connection and outline the practical steps that MaPS and the wider sector can take now to prepare for implementation.

16.00: Close of conference and drinks reception