Hymans Robertson, the leading pensions and financial services consultancy, has appointed Iain Pearce to Head of Alternative Risk Transfer Solutions. Iain will lead the firm’s advisory service supporting DB pension scheme trustees and sponsors and market participants considering new and emerging risk transfer options. These include superfunds, capital backed solutions and alternative insurance products.

Since joining Hymans in 2007, Iain has worked within the risk transfer area and focussed on helping trustees and sponsors work towards their endgame strategy. He has advised on a wide range of ground-breaking risk transfer projects, including buy-ins and buy-outs, innovate longevity solutions, longevity swap conversions, and security structures ranging from £30m to £5bn. Most recently, Iain has provided advise on a range of market participants on superfund and capital backed solutions.

Commenting on the new appointment, James Mullins, Partner and Head of Risk Transfer at Hymans said:

“With Iain’s experience of risk transfer, he will bring extensive skills and leadership to this exciting developing area. He will play a key role in helping pension schemes to reduce risk in ways that were not previously possible. This new emerging risk transfer market is fast developing and through this appointment we will continue to help our clients to benefit from these exciting innovations."

Commenting on his new role, Iain Pearce said:

“I am thrilled to take on this role to lead team to help our clients to understand how these solutions can play an important role to protect members and efficiently manage pension scheme risk when plotting a path to achieve their endgame strategies.

“Now that The Pensions Regulator has completed their assessment of Clara the superfund market is now open for business. We expect many schemes to be keen to explore superfunds and other alternative solutions to meet their objectives and expect to see a great deal of interest and activity in this space in the coming years.”