SERVICES
Flexibility
I can tailor my services to meet your specific objectives, whether that be a Core Secretarial Service in relation to your Trustee Meetings or a fuller, Trustee Support Function.
Examples of the services I can offer are below. This list is not exhaustive but provides a flavour of how I can help Trustees with the Management of their Pension Schemes.
Core Secretarial Functions
• Draft Trustee Meeting Agendas
• Produce Papers for Trustee Meetings
• Attend Trustee Meetings
• Draft Minutes from Trustee Meetings
• Follow up and Progress Actions Agreed at Trustee Meetings
Additional Trustee Support Function
• Member
Communications
• Management of
Annual Audit Process
• Liaising with
Trustee Advisers
• Assistance with
Trustee Response to Member Complaints, Including Internal Dispute Resolution
Procedure
• Setting and
Monitoring of Scheme Budget Including Adviser Fees
• Trustee Training
• Review of Governance
Arrangements Including Trustee Effectiveness, Scheme Documentation, GDPR, etc
Project Management
I can also offer Project Management Services. Examples of typical projects are below:
• Triennial Scheme Valuations
• Investment Strategy Reviews
• Investment Manager Transitions
• Tender Exercises for Trustee Adviser Appointments
• Administrator Process Reviews
• Member Nominated Trustee Elections
• External Data Audits
• Cyber Security Reviews
• GMP Rectification/Equalisation
• Scheme Buy-in/out
• Pension Increase Exchange Exercises
• Enhanced Transfer Value Exercises
Katie Brassington - FPMI
Pension Scheme Secretary
Nominee in the Professional Pensions ‘Women in Pensions’ Awards 2020
Katie@KBTrusteeSolutions.co.uk - 07585 303 641
EXPERIENCE
27 Years in the Pensions Industry, Working in Pensions Management, Trustee Services and Pensions Administration
Networking at the annual PLSA conference
WHAT DOES THE PENSIONS REGULATOR SAY?
The Pensions Regulator defines the role of Scheme Secretary as follows:
‘Work with the trustee board to make sure the scheme is efficiently and properly run, members’ benefits are secure and support efficient and effective governance.”
KB Trustee Solutions is achieving this objective with clients every day!
See What My Clients Have To Say...
I am lucky to have worked with a diverse range of Trustee Boards.
Below are some comments from Pension Trustees and Managers I have worked with:
I have worked with Katie for six years and have been tremendously impressed with her grasp of technical detail, her ability to anticipate individual's reactions and her composure in meetings (when others have not maintained their composure). Katie has been involved in several complex exercises and has project managed them excellently.
Ian Shepherd
Independent Trustee
Trustee Chair
DB Pension Scheme
I have worked with Katie Brassington for over 13 years and in that time I have found her work ethic and commitment to the Trustees second to none. Like all pension schemes the years have been extremely busy with many challenges. The scheme has challenged advisor costs/changed advisors, reassessed our governance process, the company is undertaking a pension exchange program and at present we are looking at the feasibility of a pensioner buy in.
Katie has been pivotal in all these processes, I could not recommend her more highly.
John Binns
Member Nominated Trustee
DB Pension Scheme
As a member elected Trustee for over 14 years, the service and support provided by Katie Brassington to the Trustee and I has been absolutely second to none! Katie has ensured delivery to the Trustee of an overall first class service, covering everything from: Core services including Scheme Secretarial and Governance Services, to managing advisors, scheme valuations, member elections and communications, investment strategy and reviews, company covenant reviews, trustee training, all reviews required for the scheme and rules, budget controls including negotiations on fees and fee reductions, tender exercises and consultant beauty parades, annual audits, GDPR, 'PIE' and 'Buy in' negotiations. But most important, a deep personal support to the Trustee, covering everything I personally need help with, to aid my role and responsibilities, to fulfil my role of a Trustee. Katie is the true professional in pension services, managing the secretarial and management of our Scheme, delivering and ensuring meetings run smoothly. I hope KB Trustee Solutions will continue to manage and support our Scheme and support the Trustee, going forward. Katie’s services and Scheme knowledge is paramount to our overall goal of self sufficiency.
Stan Rennie
Member Nominated Trustee
DB Pension Scheme
Katie has provided scheme secretarial services for our pension scheme for 14 years. During that time our DB scheme has moved from 100% active members to a mature scheme well progressed along its journey plan to self sufficiency and Katie has been committed to supporting the Trustee Board throughout. Katie’s experience and attention to detail ensures that as Trustees we have all the information and advice we need to manage the scheme effectively.
But more than that, Katie truly cares about both the Scheme and the Trustee Board and in my opinion, that personal commitment is what sets her apart from many other advisers. I therefore have no hesitation in recommending KB Trustee Solutions as a provider of outstanding scheme secretarial and governance services.
I would be happy to speak to anyone considering appointing KB Trustee Solutions and can be contacted via Katie.
David Hawksworth
Member Nominated Trustee
DB Pension Scheme
Katie has recently joined our Pensions Management Team covering maternity leave for an experienced member of the department. Her transition into the role has been seamless and she has delivered a high standard of service to the Trustee from day 1. She brings with her a wide range of business and pensions knowledge and has a pragmatic
approach to getting things done, actively taking ownership in resolving issues and chasing down actions with Trustees and Advisors.
She has a great work ethic and the quality and accuracy of her work is impressive. She produces in a timely manner detailed and complex papers and board and sub-committee minutes which reflect the knowledge and experience she has gained in pensions over the
past 24 years. Since joining the department, she has played a wider role within the team in supporting the Pensions Manager in picking up detailed project based work across both of our DB and DB/DC pension schemes and the wider pension activity. In this role she has brought transformational ideas and innovative thinking to the change initiatives. I have been delighted with how Katie has picked up the role and the progress we have made over the past 4 months. With the energy, input and ‘can do’ attitude that she brings to the team it makes it very easy for me to recommend KB Trustee Solutions to any organisation.
Gary Dixon
Company Appointed Trustee
Trustee Chair, DB and DB/DC Pension Schemes
I have been working with Katie for a few years now and would not hesitate in recommending her for either a secretarial role or to manage more bespoke projects. On a personal level, I enjoy working with Katie and her flexible approach to work has been extremely valuable over lockdown. She is well respected by the Trustee Board and takes an active role in meetings as well as producing accurate minutes and proactively following up on actions.
Katie’s work is always carried out to an extremely high standard and her knowledge and experience in the pensions market is clear to see whether she is working on member options projects, buy-ins or managing the day-to-day governance requirements for the Scheme.
Catherine Edmondson
Professional Independent Trustee
Trustee Chair, DB Pension Scheme
I have worked with Katie for just over two years, where she provides Trustee Secretarial services to our DB and DC Plan. Our Trustees are extremely complimentary of the quality of work, governance management, organisation and professionalism Katie brings to the role. From a personal perspective, we have built a really excellent relationship, as she has with the Trustees and other advisers, and she provides excellent support to me as Pensions Manager working well together to ensure the Plan is run efficiently and effectively. We are a business which has Family and Care as two of its core values, and when faced with complex individual discretionary cases, Katie communicates compassionately with our members and their families and therefore truly lives these values.
Graeme Mearns
Pensions Manager
DB/DC Pension Scheme