L&G has made two senior appointments to its DC team, promoting Jayesh Patel to be its new head of UK defined contribution distribution and appointing Louise Whyte as head of defined contribution sales & strategy.
Patel has over 20 years in the industry, and joined L&G in January 2024 as head of DC clients. Prior to this, he was co-head of DC Consulting at Willis Towers Watson (WTW).
In this new role he will be responsible for developing and driving the leadership of L&G’s UK DC client and business development teams, working closely with employers and trustees and with a focus on improving member outcomes.
Whyte joins from Scottish Widows where she was DC strategic relationship director for more than four years. Prior to this she worked at SEI and BlackRock.
L&G said that growing its DC and workplace savings business continues to be a commercial priority for the group , and it will be making further appointments in this area in due course.
L&G is the largest DC pension provider in the UK, with more than £180bn in total DC AUM and 5.6m members.
Over the past year the business has grown its DC client team with a focus on partnering with employers and trustees. iIt has also strengthened its proposition over this period with the launch of new investment fund options, including private market investments, and a range of digital guidance tools to better engage members at different stages of their savings journey.
L&G head of UK DC distribution Jayesh Patel says: “I am delighted to take on this role and partner with clients and advisers to help employers and trustees deliver improved member outcomes.”
L&G chief client officer Sarah Aitken says: “The success of our business is built on listening to our clients and providing solutions that make a genuine difference to member outcomes. Jayesh brings deep client insight and the breadth and depth of his experience and knowledge is a real asset to the team.
“He has shown himself to be a trusted partner to clients and industry participants and he will play a key role in our continued growth story.”