SPP Conference 2025: In Person Conference Close
In association with Professional Pensions
A&O Shearman, London (in-person only)
Thursday 25 September 2025
13:30-18:00
We are delighted to invite you to the concluding event of the SPP’s 2025 Conference, in association with Professional Pensions, being hosted in-person only at the London office of A&O Shearman.
This session will feature two panel discussions:
- We will welcome representatives from The Pension Regulator, to hear from them what their key priorities will be over the year ahead, across both DB and DC, following The Pensions Bill and with the Pensions Commission ahead.
- Then, we will host a discussion on the global macroeconomic landscape. Led by Tim Leunig, Chief Economist at NESTA, and a panel of industry experts, this will consider how the seismic global developments that we are witnessing will impact on the industry.
After these sessions, there will be an opportunity to relax and meet colleagues over drinks.
Agenda:
- 13:30 : Arrival and registration
- 14:30 : In conversation with TPR
- 15:30: Networking/Coffee Break
- 15:45 : Macro Economics Session
- 16:45 : Professional Networking with Drinks and Light Bites
In Conversation with The Pensions Regulator
Helen Gavagan
Segment Lead: Single Employer DC Provision, Market Oversight, The Pensions Regulator
Helen Gavagan is the Segment Lead responsible for regulatory compliance, risk oversight and member outcomes in Single and Connected Employer trust-based DC pension schemes. Previously Helen was Private Secretary to TPR’s CEO and had led Supervision teams within both Relationship and Event Supervision, supervising across DB and DC schemes. Prior to TPR, Helen worked in Pensions and Investments at the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Katie Suter
Theme Lead: DB Funding & Events, The Pensions Regulator
Katie is the Regulatory Theme Lead for DB Funding & Events, which is part of the Market Oversight Team. She joined TPR in 2010 as a case manager in the DB Funding team, subsequently working in a variety of areas including funding, scams, governance, avoidance and DC with a focus on enforcement before moving over to Market Oversight earlier this year. Katie now leads a multi-disciplinary team looking to enhance the system and influence the delivery of better outcomes for savers, by working through a deep understanding of market-wide risks and opportunities.
Katie Bromley
Principal, Mercer
Katie is an actuary and consultant with 30 years experience working in pensions. She is currently part of Mercer’s Policy, Professionalism and Research group keeping trustees and employers up to date on legislative, regulatory and market developments and helping them understand what it means for their schemes. She is also deputy chair of the SPP’s DB Committee.
Sophia Singleton (Chair)
SPP President And Head Of DC, XPS Pensions Group
Sophia is a partner and Head of DC at XPS Pensions Group. She has over 25 years’ experience in the UK pensions industry and advises corporates and trustees across all areas of their DC schemes including optimising benefit design, developing investment solutions, improving member engagement and ensuring effective scheme governance.
Macroeconomic Panel
Tim Leunig
Chief Economist, NESTA
Tim is a multiple international prize winning economist. He has taught at LSE for more than 25 years and served as economic advisor to two Chancellors. He currently works as Chief Economist at the Social Innovation Agency NESTA, and writes a monthly column for the Observer.
Callum Duffy
Senior Solution Designer, Insight Investment
Callum joined Insight in April 2019 and is a Solution Designer in the Client Solutions Group. Callum works on the design and delivery of investment solutions tailored to address the specific risk and return objectives of Insight’s clients. Prior to joining Insight, Callum spent over six years at KPMG as an investment consultant. Here, he helped with the design and implementation of investment strategies for defined benefit pension schemes. He was also co-head of investment strategy research and a member of the LDI and ALM research teams. Callum graduated from the University of Warwick with an MMath (first) in Mathematics. He is also a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries in the UK (FIA).
Joanna Sharples
CIO, DC Solutions, Aon
Joanna is a Partner in Aon’s Investment Practice and Chief Investment Officer for Aon’s DC Solutions. She is responsible for the investment funds offered to members through Aon’s DC Solutions including The Aon MasterTrust and GPP. I really enjoy what I do and feel privileged to look after our members pensions – investing well makes a huge difference to how much money people have when they come to retire. She also leads the development of Aon’s house views around DC investments, in particular default and lifestyle strategies, and sit on Aon’s UK DC Investment Committee.
Steve Hull (Chair)
Partner, Burges Salmon LLP
Steve is a Pensions Partner at Burges Salmon with over 35 years’ experience, recognised in the leading client guides to law firms (Chambers & Partners and Legal 500) as a leading pensions lawyer.
Steve advises trustees and sponsoring employers on all aspects of pensions law in England and Wales, including the pensions aspects of corporate mergers and acquisitions, public and private company take-overs and private equity buy-outs, the pensions aspects of corporate restructurings, administrations and insolvencies, as well as on pension scheme restructurings.
Venue
This event is kindly being hosted by:
View other SPP Conference 2025 sessions:
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