Standard Life’s Trustee Accelerator Programme, launched in 2024 and designed to develop pension trustees, has completed its first year.
The initial group of 12 trainees continues to progress through training in collaboration with the Pensions Management Institute (PMI). Participants have completed several introductory modules and are working through the PMI curriculum alongside additional workshops.
One participant, Dean Dennis, was appointed chair of the London Leadership Board for Business in the Community during the programme.
The programme has received support from industry bodies including Nest, USS, SAUL, and clients such as Amey, and the first cohort is expected to complete the programme in Spring 2026.
Standard Life says it is now planning a broader industry rollout of the programme with PMI.
Standard Life head of Master Trust and IGC and trustee accelerator programme sponsor Donna Walsh says: “Reaching the halfway point with our first intake of trustee trainees is a considerable milestone. In 12 short months we have proven that there is an industry-wide desire to develop and diversify the make-up of pension boards to ensure they are more reflective of the pension scheme members they represent.
“Some of the biggest names in pension provision from Nest to USS have come on board to support the Programme and this has undoubtedly contributed to its overwhelming success. With momentum building month-on-month, we are pleased to reveal that we are working with the PMI and other industry groups to extend the Trustee Accelerator Programme across the industry, at scale, to create even further opportunity and inclusivity in the make-up of pension boards in the future.”
Pensions Management Institute chief strategy officer Helen Forrest Hall says: “The Trustee Accelerator Programme is an incredible initiative that has driven real-world impact, bringing non-pensions people into the sector and giving them the tools and knowledge to progress in their careers. We have been delighted with how it has been received across the industry too, and to be working with Standard Life on ways to evolve the Programme even further to address the growing need for skilled, knowledgeable, and diverse pensions professionals across the pension sector and beyond.”
