XPS Group has expanded its risk settlement team with five new appointments.
The consultancy says this comes after a rise in buy-in transactions over the past year, and reflects the firm’s investment in scaling delivery capacity to meet growing client demand.
XPS says these appointments also reflect its commitment to deliver a good post-transaction service for schemes transitioning from buy-in to buyout, and to provide a seamless service for trustees throughout the endgame journey.
Steve Ellul joins as senior project lead, bringing extensive experience from Barnett Waddingham and Broadstone.
He is joined by consultants Umar Nazir, previously with Isio, and Ben Knight, formerly at Capita. Tajahe Downie joins as a senior associate from Hymans Robertson and Alexa Sotiris steps into the role from within XPS.
Stephen Purves, head of risk settlement at XPS Group, said the five new appointments bring “invaluable expertise” and “strengthens the company’s post-transaction capabilities at a time of exceptional demand for our services”.
He adds “2025 has already seen a record number of XPS-led transactions and this additional capacity will be essential in supporting our clients through the critical stages of buy-in and beyond.”
Mel Stanford, head of post-transactions services at XPS Group adds: “The post-transaction phase remains a key priority for trustees preparing for buyout, and our continued investment in this area, alongside close collaboration with insurers and stakeholders, is helping us deliver the support and outcomes our clients expect.”