05 February 2010
The Pensions Advisory Service (TPAS) announced today that it has
appointed Marta Phillips, OBE as its new Chief Executive. The
appointment takes effect from 12 April 2010. Marta succeeds
long serving Chief Executive, Malcolm McLean.
Commenting on the appointment, TPAS Chairman Partha Dasgupta
said:
"Marta brings a wealth of financial and public sector experience
to the role of Chief Executive. In addition, she has a track
record of contributing at Board level to social enterprises
throughout her career which will be invaluable to TPAS."
Marta Phillips said:
"I am pleased to be joining TPAS as Chief Executive. The
need for a free, impartial, one-stop pensions information and
guidance service is apparent with over 1 million people seeking
help via the web, phone and e-mail over the last 12 months.
I'm looking forward to working with all our stakeholders to deliver
an information service that continues to meet the needs of the
public during a period of significant pension reform."
Commenting on the departure of Malcolm McLean from TPAS, Partha
Dasgupta said:
"Malcolm has made an outstanding contribution to communicating
pension's issues over the last 13 years. His jargon-free,
plain speaking approach to explaining pensions has helped many
thousands of people across the UK with their retirement
planning.
"Malcolm leaves an excellent legacy for his successor to build
on. He will be a hard act to follow and we wish him well in
his future endeavours."
Malcolm McLean said:
"I wish Marta every success in what I am sure she will find a
stimulating role. She will be working with some great people
and will find the volunteer workers amazing in what they can do and
achieve on behalf of the pension consumer."
Notes for Editors
- Marta Phillips was appointed following open competition.
Her appointment was approved by the Secretary of State for Work and
Pensions. A picture of Marta Phillips is available on
request.
- Marta is currently Director of Compliance at the National
Lottery Commission, which she joined in November 1999. She is
a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of
Scotland. Her early career was spent at Ernst & Young as
an external auditor and later in its IT Information Centre.
She worked for a short time at the Stock Exchange and for several
years at Midland Bank Plc (now HSBC) working in the International
Audit Department and developing and implementing Treasury computer
systems. Most recently she was Head of Finance for the
European Social Fund Unit in the Department for Education and
Employment. Marta has also served as a Board member of a
number of housing associations. She was awarded and OBE in
2006 New Year's Honours List for services to social housing.
- The Pensions Advisory Service (TPAS) is an independent
organisation, operating at arm's length from DWP. It
provides independent, non-regulated, one-stop information and
guidance to members of the public on pensions matters. TPAS
has three core services that it offers to individuals free of
charge: information and guidance, dispute resolution and visits to
the workplace to provide information on retirement planning.
- TPAS provides a national pensions helpline 0845 601 2923 which
is open 9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday. The dedicated pensions
helpline for women is contactable during the same hours on 0845 600
0806. In 2008/09 TPAS received a record 76,239 helpline
calls, 12,897 written enquiries and over 800,000 people visited its
website at www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk and
handled 7,026 pension disputes.
- The service is provided by a nationwide network of volunteers
and augmented by technical and administrative staff based in
London. TPAS is funded by grant-in-aid from DWP which is
recovered by a general levy on pension schemes.
