Independent Governance Group (IGG) has acquired Clarity Trustees to further expand the newly formed Group’s client base and professional team.
Karein Davie, founder of Clarity Trustees, will join IGG on February 27, 2023. She has more than 20 years of experience in the field of pensions, gained in companies like PricewaterhouseCoopers, Hymans Robertson, and Mercer.
Davie is a professional trustee with complete accreditation. Her specialities include creating and implementing de-risking strategies for schemes, establishing long-term funding goals, managing member option exercises, and corporate reorganisations, and analysing investment and fiduciary management choices, as well as implementing DC Master Trust migrations.
Davie will continue to lead work for all her existing clients. She holds appointments as chair of trustees and co-trustee, and her portfolio consists of schemes from a variety of industries and business sizes, including family enterprises and PE-backed multinationals.
The move comes hot on the heels of IGG’s formation through the merger of Ross Trustees with Independent Trustee Services.
Independent Governance Group CEO Andrew Bradshaw says: “I am delighted to welcome Karein and her clients to IGG at this exciting time for the business. Our team will benefit enormously from her wealth of experience and hands-on approach to professional trusteeship, while her arrival marks an important strategic milestone as we continue to expand our regional presence.
“The economic environment presents new opportunities and challenging headwinds for pension schemes, which makes it even more important that clients benefit from the very best talent and expert support. Clarity Trustees shares our commitment to providing exceptional client service and I am confident that Karein will quickly find a home at IGG.”
Clarity Trustees founder Karein Davie says: “I am incredibly proud of the success Clarity Trustees has achieved and I am delighted my clients will benefit from the greater resource and the diverse range of skills within the Independent Governance Group. My varied career background means I understand the challenges facing those involved in managing pension schemes from all angles, and I am confident that my personalised, client-centric approach will be retained and strengthened within the IGG team.
“It was essential for me to find the right business partner for Clarity Trustees – namely, one that mirrors my beliefs about what schemes and sponsors can, and should, expect from a professional trustee. IGG shares the same values and ethos that I feel are essential: prioritising people, the depth of knowledge and expertise available and a real team approach to finding client solutions.”
Independent Governance Group non executive chairman Martin Smith says: “Clarity Trustees is the third acquisition we have made since being backed by LDC and further demonstrates the growth ambitions we have for IGG. With a Birmingham base, the acquisition of Clarity Trustees also represents another step towards building an enhanced regional presence for IGG.”