Guiide has appointed Ruston Smith as chair of its board.
Smith has more than 35 years of senior executive and non-executive experience in the retail, pensions and asset management industry. He currently holds a number of non-executive roles in companies such as Pensions Management Institute, Smart Pension and J.P. Morgan Asset Management.
Guiide says it is building on its initial success by helping those with low pension savings and assets, for example, people who may typically take pension pots all as cash which it says are the most under-served demographic. Guiide also notes that its free online retirement modelling platform has been very popular with consumers planning to use or considering the pension freedoms.
Guiide actuary and founder Kevin Hollister says: “To say we are pleased to have Ruston lead our board is a huge understatement. His exceptional advocacy for protecting savers, helping them understand pensions and achieve their desired retirement outcome could not be a better match for our goals and vision to simplify the word “pensions” and provide practical, usable solutions to savers. In the advised space this will be provided, but we all know there’s an advice gap and the millions of savers planning to access the pension freedoms who will make decisions without advice in the future.
“They need more support and practical help as soon as possible to help them make better choices and get better financial outcomes. My thanks to Clare Hawkins for chairing Guiide through this transitional period. Clare remains as a non-executive director on the Board”
