Please note: this programme is subject to change
Welcome to the Defined Contribution Conference Manchester, hosted by Professional Pensions.
Recent policy developments for DC schemes, including the Pension Schemes Bill and the Part One of the Pensions Review (investment), marked a significant shift in the UK pensions landscape. More change is likely to arise from Part Two (adequacy).
With major implications for trustees, sponsors, and scheme members, PPI Deputy Director Dr Suzy Morrissey will unpack what these changes mean in practice, what’s missing from the pensions landscape, and what may lay ahead for schemes.
Effective communication and meaningful engagement are essential in supporting members throughout their retirement journey. To foster stronger connections and for members with their pensions, pension trustees should blend innovative technology with a human-centred, empathetic approach.
This session will address:
- How to engage the unengaged and transform passive members into active participants
- How will engagement drive better outcomes
- How to make engagement easier for members
Sharing learnings and insights from a unique 10-year piece of research which highlights the challenges faced by people as they come to access their DC savings pots. This session asks what the future might hold. By hearing from savers firsthand we will discuss how the industry can ready itself for the challenges presented to us in the Pensions Schemes Bill. We will also share how we intend to help our 7 million members.
With the announcement of Mansion House II, the stage is set for private market investments to play an increasing role within DC pension schemes asset allocations. So how can DC schemes successfully increase private market allocations and is this to the benefit of members?
This session will address:
- What are the opportunities and obstacles in the private markets investment landscape including in the UK
- Do private markets and productive finance provide value for savers
- What role can private market asset allocations play within your portfolio
- The risk factor of differing private market assets and the role these different assets can play within a portfolio
As members approach retirement and enter the decumulation phase, they face crucial choices around how to access their pension savings. This session will explore the evolving landscape of retirement behaviours — including the increasing use of drawdown versus annuities, the reasons behind these decisions, and what trustees need to know to support good outcomes.
This session will address:
- How members are drawing income in retirement and are preferences shifting?
- The investment risks associated with different decumulation strategies and how to manage them
- What an effective default decumulation strategy should look like
- Emerging innovations and developments trustees should be aware of
As the net-zero transition accelerates amid global uncertainty, pension schemes face increasing pressure to integrate climate considerations while delivering sustainable, long-term value. This session delves into how trustees and providers can best navigate climate risks and opportunities—balancing fiduciary duties, ESG integration, and member outcomes.
This session will address:
- How to best implement good sustainability investment practice
- How to embed ESG principles into portfolio design and management
- The intersection of climate change, fiduciary duty, and sustainable investment practices
- Identifying investable climate solutions and impact opportunities aligned with long-term pension goals