Our Strategic Management Team is responsible for overseeing the everyday running of Peninsula Pensions.
The majority of the team’s work concerns employer and senior management liaison and office procedural compliance, although some public-facing work is carried out (such as specialist or obscure queries and the complaints procedure).
We are supported by our highly skilled team who are always hard at work providing a customer-focused, quality service delivered cost-effectively, for the benefit of our members across all the schemes we administer.
I have been in the pensions industry since 2001, with over 23 years working in a variety of roles at all levels within administration, including, 8 years as Team Manager for the Police & Firefighter Pension Schemes, and 6 years as Technical (Training) & Compliance Strategic Lead. I became Head of Peninsula Pensions administration team in July 2022.
I have responsibility for managing the administration teams in Exeter for the Shared Service between Devon County Council and Somerset Council. The team consists of approximately 80 pension specialists working to provide the best service possible for our members. I have significant experience in dealing with the occupational pension schemes that we provide administration for, being the LGPS, the Police and Firefighter Pension Schemes which includes:
- Introduction and implementation of new schemes, project management, staff management, performance monitoring/reporting and resource planning
- Extensive knowledge of administration services for final salary and CARE defined benefit schemes as above in addition to other relevant secondary pension/HMRC legislation.
- Work management, training, policies & procedures, process review, Committee attendance, presenting, governance & compliance.
- Incidents and IDRP complaint handling
- Attendance at webinars / national events / training events (including LGPS Fundamentals XV1 2017 course), to ensure continuous development.
Following completion of a BTEC HND in Business & Finance, I was employed by Hastings Borough Council for 12 years, calculating Housing & Council tax benefits. I gained valuable experience of in-house training and performance monitoring for the team, as well as new software testing & introduction. All transferrable skills used within my Pension roles when I moved from East Sussex to Devon.
Outside of work, I enjoy the great variety of Devon beach / Dartmoor walks with my dog Bilbo, and spending time with my family, keeping busy with my 8 young nieces & nephews!
Gareth Shackler
Employer and Communications Strategic Lead
My role is to ensure Peninsula Pensions is fully compliant with legislation and best practice principles of the Pensions Regulator for all schemes we administer.
I also oversee the designing, co-ordinating and delivery of an internal training programme to ensure our team are able to respond to enquiries professionally and efficiently.
As the Member Services Manager I ensure the efficient and accurate delivery of all pension information and administration to members and potential members of schemes administered by Peninsula Pensions.