Stephen leads the team at XPS and specialises in strategic end-game journey planning and buy-in and buyout transactions.

He has more than 20 years' specialist experience and has led on over £20bn of bulk annuity transactions including some of the largest and most complex bulk annuity transactions in the UK market to date. He has completed transactions of all sizes and for a number of FTSE 100 sponsored schemes and his clients include Smiths Group, Harrods, Amey, M&S, Morrisons and Co-op. 

Stephen also spent three years on the insurer-side from his role as Head of Origination and Deal Structuring at Aviva which makes him uniquely placed to provide insight from both the trustee and insurer perspective, particularly in relation to preparing for and executing bulk annuity transactions.

Jo is a Partner and Actuary in the XPS Risk Settlement team and specialises in strategic end-game journey planning, executing buy-in and buyout transactions and also leads on XPS’s insurer relationship programme.

She has more than 20 years' specialist experience and has advised on 100+ bulk annuity transactions across all sizes and complexities, including Mitchells & Butlers, Sony, Denso, KeyMed, Celestica and British Vita. 

Ashley Williams is a Partner in the Risk Settlement team, specialising in end game strategies and executing buy-in and buyout transactions. 

He has nearly 20 years’ experience and has worked on over 50 transactions across a range of scheme sizes, including deals with Virgin Media, Mitchell and Butler, and Express Newspapers. 

Ash also heads up Xpedite, XPS’s streamlined broking process that ensures pensions schemes of all sizes can obtain excellent engagement with the insurance market with competitive fees. 

Harry is a Partner in the XPS Risk Settlement team. He has 20 years’ of specialist experience in risk settlement transactions and actuarial work.

Harry has been responsible for many of the UK’s largest and most innovative bulk annuity transactions, leading on 100 bulk annuity transactions covering £15bn of liabilities. Key transactions include Thorn, Emap, T&N, TRW, Vickers, Philips and M&B. Harry led on the UK’s first two residual risk transactions and on the first PPF+ buyout. 

Dave is a Senior Consultant in the Risk Settlement team who specialises in helping schemes through bulk annuity transactions, from buy-in to buyout and through to wind-up. 

Dave has 20 years' experience as a risk settlement specialist, covering over 150 transactions of various sizes, ranging from those with liabilities of less than £5m to several transactions over £1bn. 

Dave has a particular focus on smaller bulk annuity transactions and is a key member of XPS’s Xpedite team. 

Mandeep is a Senior Consultant in the risk settlement team with over 10 years' actuarial and risk settlement experience and a key member of XPS’s Xpedite team, focusing on smaller scheme bulk annuity transactions.

Mandeep also has expertise in the preparation phase for schemes, ensuring data and benefits are clear and understood by the insurers, and is a project management lead for many of XPS’s buy-in transactions.

Mandeep’s experience and ability was recognised most recently when she was a finalist at the 2022 Professional Pensions “Rising Star” awards and nominated in the 2023 “Women in Pensions” awards.

David is a Senior Consultant and Qualified Actuary with over 10 years' specialist experience advising pension schemes on all aspects of bulk annuity transactions from the preparation stages required ahead of market approach through to scheme buyout and wind up. 

David has advised on a range of bulk annuity transactions and was part of the XPS team advising on the recent high-profile XPS transactions for Amey and Harrods.

Patrick is a Senior Consultant with over 15 years’ experience specialising in the end-game journey planning and risk settlement solutions, including buy-ins and buyout, longevity swaps and alternative risk transfer solutions like superfunds and capital backed journey plans.

He has been involved in some of the largest and most complex transactions in the UK market to date including the £3.5bn Philips buyout and the £3.4bn MMC longevity swap, as well as leading significant transactions including the £750m Sony buy-in and the £400m TT Electronics buy-in.

Adrian is a Senior Consultant in the XPS Risk Settlement team. 

He has over 15 years' specialist bulk annuity experience and has advised on over £10bn of bulk annuity transactions, ranging in size from under £1m to £3bn. 

He has worked with all insurers in the market and has extensive experience in all aspects of risk settlement, from the initial preparatory phases, through the negotiation and transaction phases, and onwards to successful conclusion of buyout and wind-up.

Natalie is a Senior Consultant in the XPS Risk Settlement team. She has over 20 years’ pensions experience.

Natalie has strong experience of project management and has led schemes through a range of projects including closure to active accrual, GMP equalisation and preparing for buy-in and buyout. 

In addition, Natalie is responsible for developing and maintaining XPS’s risk settlement tools, to help increase insurer engagement and streamline the process for our clients.

Robert is a Consultant in the XPS Risk Settlement Team and specialises on the post transaction side of buy-in and buyouts projects. He has more than 20 years' experience in the annuity market covering both the individual and bulk annuity markets.

Over the last 10 years he has on worked over 150 post transactions, covering schemes with the smallest to the largest of liability profiles and has successfully completed projects across the range of UK insurers.

Melissa joined the Risk Settlement team in 2023 and leads the post-transaction team from an operational perspective ensure the best quality service is provided post transaction and the most efficient process are adopted to reflective both the client and insurer needs.

Melissa has over 18 years' pensions experience, primarily on project based roles which includes managing schemes through the PPF assessment period, post transaction project managements and has experience taking schemes all the way through the buyout and wind-up.