BESTrustees is delighted to announce that Michelle Darracott has joined the firm as a professional trustee. She joined on 2 May.
Michelle is a highly accomplished award-winning senior business leader with a speciality in Pensions, Investments and Technology. Her most recent executive-level role was as Chief Strategy Officer at Smart Pension, where she was part of the core team responsible for a 2000% increase in the company’s growth and its expansion into four continents.
Michelle’s previous roles in Pensions include a number of senior strategy, digital and LDI roles in a long career at Legal & General Investment Management and eight years as a consulting actuary with Hewitt Associates (now Aon). In 2021 Michelle was awarded Fintech Woman of the Year and in 2022 was named as one of the top 100 global female leaders in Fintech by Innovate Finance.
“Recruiting Michelle is a huge coup for us and we are thrilled she has chosen to continue her successful career at BESTrustees. I have said before that 2023 is going to be a very exciting year for BESTrustees and new hires of Michelle’s calibre will deliver the growth and quality of service we are planning to deliver to our clients. I am sure Michelle will bring impressive amounts of experience and gravitas in equal measure.”
Zahir Fazal, Chairman, BESTrustees“I am delighted to be joining BESTrustees at a time when there continues to be so much change within the industry to navigate. I was attracted to BESTrustees due to their fantastic reputation and I am looking forward to working alongside some exceptional people.”
Michelle Darracott
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The Trustees of the Carr’s Group Pension Scheme, chaired by Rachel Tranter of BESTrustees, have completed a c.£44m buy-in transaction with Aviva to cover 216 pensioner and 56 deferred members of the Scheme. Mercer acted as lead transaction adviser using its streamlined broking process. “I am delighted to have guided the trustees through the transaction process to achieve a successful outcome which further increases the security of our members’ benefits. This transaction was very much a collaborative teamworking effort involving the trustees, the Company (Carr’s Group plc), the insurer and our professional advisers all carrying out important roles throughout the …
BESTrustees and LCP complete c.£50m full buy-in for the Low & Bonar Group Retirement Benefits Scheme
The Trustee of the Low & Bonar Group Retirement Benefits Scheme, chaired by Hugh Creasy of BESTrustees, and Just Group plc, have completed a c.£50m full buy-in of all remaining uninsured members of the Low & Bonar GRBS. This marked the final step on the Scheme’s derisking journey. LCP acted as lead transaction adviser using its streamlined buy-in and buy-out service. The Scheme already held two existing pensioner buy-in policies, the first of which was secured with JUST back in 2015. LCP used its streamlined buy-in and buy-out service and the previous pensioner buy-ins were also completed through this service, …
