Clara appoints new Chief Operating Officer and three other new members of staff

28 March 2024

Clara-Pensions, the member-first consolidator for defined benefit pension schemes, has announced the appointment of Rebecca Wainwright as its new Chief Operating Officer. She joins Clara alongside three other new hires as the team expands to serve its 20,000 pension scheme members and prepare for further transactions.

Rebecca joins Clara with 20 years’ experience in the insurance sector and boasts a strong track record across strategy development and implementation, operational delivery, and governance. Her previous role was as Director of Heritage Strategy, Planning, and Project Delivery at Phoenix Group. Prior to that, Rebecca served as Chief Operating Officer at ReAssure before its acquisition by Phoenix. She has also served as an ambassador for Everywoman and joins Clara with significant Executive Committee and Board experience.

Alongside Rebecca, Uravi Patel, Louise Ellisdon and Damien Pantling are also joining the growing team:

• Uravi joins as Senior Legal Counsel from Just Group bringing a range of legal experience from the financial services industry, including her time as part of the in-house legal team of the FTSE 250 insurer.
• Louise joins as Pensions Administration Client Relationship Manager, also from Just Group, having spent a decade working there. Her primary role at Clara will be to support the trustee board and administration partners to ensure the best outcome for members.
• Damien joins as Head of Financial Reporting, moving from a similar role at Berkshire County Council Pension Fund. He is a Chartered Public Finance Accountant with over 10 years professional experience across a range of sectors, and will help Clara deliver on its financial reporting requirements.

Clara’s recent transactions with the Sears Retail Pension Scheme and Debenhams Retirement Scheme mean the organisation is now serving the needs of 20,000 members and overseeing approximately £1.2bn of assets.

Simon True, Chief Executive Officer of Clara-Pensions, said: “Our recent transactions with the Sears and Debenhams schemes demonstrate the importance of the Clara proposition for members, trustees and sponsors. Having the right team to do that is vital for member experience and satisfaction. Rebecca is someone we have long admired, and along with the combined skills of Uravi, Louise and Damien, we can continue to provide the best experience for our members going forwards.”

“Trustee and sponsor interest in commercial consolidation is continuing to grow and we look forward to welcoming more members into Clara, keeping their pensions safe as we take them on the journey to an insured future.”

Source: Clara