Gallagher has appointed three executive leaders to its UK Benefits & HR Consulting Division: Lee Cook as managing director of pensions administration services, John Deacon as head of corporate consulting, employee benefits, and Vishal Makkar as managing director, UK wealth consulting.
Cook, Deacon, and Makkar plan to use their respective areas of expertise to increase the company’s presence in all three of its primary markets. They all joined Gallagher through its acquisition of Buck in 2023.
Lee Cook has 32 years of experience in the pensions industry. He was Buck’s former chief of pensions Administration and will oversee the provision of outsourcing services for more than 170 pension schemes and 430,000 members while focusing on strategy, financial performance, and growth.
Former Buck employee benefits head John Deacon will now join the UK employee benefits business under managing director Steve Threader as head of corporate consulting, employee benefits. Deacon, who has over thirty years of expertise in the financial services industry, will oversee a group of consultants that will provide solutions to UK firms in the areas of group risk, healthcare, workplace savings, and client technology.
Vishal Makkar is an actuary with over 20 years of experience who was previously Head of Retirement Consulting at Buck. He currently holds the position of managing director, UK wealth consulting. He leads Gallagher’s actuarial, investment, and secretarial consulting teams in addition to providing strategic direction for the company’s DB pensions consulting division. Makkar is a scheme actuary for high-profile clients and provides incisive and practical advice to trustees and sponsors of UK pension plans to protect members’ benefits. He is also a member of the Association of Consulting Actuaries’ Main Committee.
Recent developments at the firm include David Piltz’s transition from UK managing director at Buck to CEO at Gallagher’s UK Benefits & HR Consulting Division last year and the appointment of Alistair Dornan as chief revenue officer.
Makkar says: “The UK economic environment has changed massively over the last few years, not least decades of high inflation and economic uncertainty driven by uncontrollable global factors. Trustees will depend on robust and clear guidance now more than ever. Whether it’s advice on scheme funding, investment strategy, risk transfer or governance, our consultants offer immense value through their expertise. It was with that in mind that Gallagher acquired Buck, and it is what will propel the business to setting the benchmark on wealth consulting over the coming years.”
Cook says: “Gallagher is rightly committed to offering an outstanding customer experience to pension schemes and their associated members. Through our excellent delivery teams, complemented by our suite of digital solutions and our market-leading communications teams, we are providing a valued combination of high-quality member engagement and strategic support to pension fund clients. It’s a privilege to lead the team as we rapidly approach 500,000 members who benefit from our leading solutions.”
“In a time where employee retention is an increasingly pressing challenge, companies must not underestimate the value of an employee benefits programme. Steady change management and intuitive benefits design will be key to ensuring employees remain actively engaged with their benefits. At Buck, we built up a considerable client base who trust us to deliver on-time and at a consistent level of quality. The opportunity to take this expertise to my role at Gallagher and to lead strategic thinking on our Corporate Consulting arm is a professional highlight,” said John Deacon.
Piltz says: “As the Buck team officially integrates into the Gallagher family, I’m delighted to welcome my colleagues into the next phase of our growth. Lee, Vishal and John’s leadership skills, work ethic and combined experience will be a welcome addition to the Gallagher team. Each of them offers a vast breadth of expertise that will provide a foundation for our growth as we continue to roll out fresh innovations across our pensions, administration, employee benefits, communications, and workplace culture offerings.”