Focusing on ensuring Scottish Widows best serves the needs of its customers, Maria will lead the investments proposition team to help achieve its ambitious growth plans across its financial planning and retirement activity, including in the workplace and master trust space.
Joining from Mercer, Maria will be responsible for recommending fund and investment changes that will offer customers a compelling default choice and value for money investments, while incorporating the insurer’s sustainability agenda.
With more than 12 years’ financial services experience, Maria brings strong asset management market insight to Scottish Widows. During her time at Mercer, she led, formulated and executed the marketing strategy, with the goal of increasing its market share in Defined Contribution (DC) consulting, financial planning and master trust areas.
Maria has also held a wide range of responsibilities at JLT, where she was Head of DC Investment Consulting for several years. She advised DC and group personal pension trust schemes and was the key driver behind launching the company’s workplace pension scheme offering.
Her appointment comes following Scottish Widows’ significant investment in workplace pensions, including the acquisition of Zurich’s workplace pension scheme. Scottish Widows also received authorisation for its Master Trust in 2019 from The Pension Regulator.
Maria said: “I’ve joined at an exciting and pivotal moment where there is so much potential for growth, not only following the acquisition of Zurich’s workplace pension scheme and its Master Trust authorisation, but for Scottish Widows as a whole. I’m looking forward to working with a very experienced and motivated team.”
Jeff Sayers, Managing Director of Pensions and Investments at Scottish Widows, said: “Maria’s appointment is a real coup for us as she brings strong industry experience and knowledge to our team, which is already delivering a very high standard of service to our customers. Maria’s extensive experience will help us enhance our offering and investment choices, helping our customers be better prepared for the retirement they want.”
Maria was recently awarded the Rising Star award at the Newcastle University Business School, with judges naming her ‘champion of women in finance’ and cited her dedication to encouraging more women to join the financial services industry.
Her appointment bolsters Scottish Widows’ experienced senior leadership team, including Graeme Bold, Director of Workplace Pensions, who joined the company in 2019 from M&G Prudential.
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