Please note: programme is subject to change
The landscape for professional trusteeship is changing rapidly. With the DWP consultation on trusteeship, governance and administration due to conclude in March alongside TPR’s ongoing market oversight on professional trusteeship firms, expectations are evolving and change is undoubtedly imminent.
Against this backdrop, new industry guidance is also coming into force, including APPT’s code of practice for Professional Corporate Sole Trustees, effective from January 1st, 2026, which sets out enhanced expectations for the operations, oversight and governance of sole trusteeship appointments.
This session will cut through the noise to identify the key themes emerging from policy, regulatory, and industry guidance developments, examining what they signal for different trustee models in practice. It will explore how expectations of professional trustees are shifting and what trustees should be preparing for now as the direction of travel becomes clearer.
This session will address:
- The outcomes of the DWP’s consultation on trusteeship, governance and administration and its implications for professional trusteeship
- What good looks like for professional trusteeship
- Themes and issues emerging from TPR’s market oversight of professional trusteeship
- The growing demand for corporate sole trustees and proactively addressing its market sensitivity
- The governance and risk controls set out by APPT’s code of practice for Professional Corporate Sole Trustees
Breakout One
DB endgame decisions are increasingly shaped by market conditions rather than funding levels alone. Volatile bond markets, insurer capacity constraints and high asset valuations have introduced new timing and risks for trustees considering buy-in, buy-out or run-on strategies.
This session moves beyond possible routes and execution mechanics to examine how trustees can factor market context into strategic decision-making within the endgame, and how they are assessing whether to lock in outcomes.
As DB funding positions improve, the topic of surplus is at the forefront of many scheme discussions. For many boards, these are relatively new conversations that require careful consideration of scheme objectives, funding outcomes and sponsor perspectives.
This session looks at how trustees are approaching surplus discussions in practice and the decision-making around how it can be used productively to support scheme objectives. Looking at examples of approaches that have been implemented and successfully aligned with fiduciary duties, delivering value for both members and sponsors.
Breakout Two
As DB funding positions improve, the topic of surplus is at the forefront of many scheme discussions. For many boards, these are relatively new conversations that require careful consideration of scheme objectives, funding outcomes and sponsor perspectives.
This session looks at how trustees are approaching surplus discussions in practice and the decision-making around how it can be used productively to support scheme objectives. Looking at examples of approaches that have been implemented and successfully aligned with fiduciary duties, delivering value for both members and sponsors.
Breakout Three
The DC market is at a turning point, as it faces rapid consolidation, assets and governance are increasingly concentrated in large master trusts. At the same time, government policy is pushing schemes toward productive finance, where scale plays an important role.
This session will explore how consolidation is reshaping trustee influence and governance expectations, and what this means for trustee decision-making. It will explore whether scale improves outcomes and how trustees can balance the considerations between fiduciary duty and policy ambition.
The new DB Funding Code is now live, with schemes entering the first valuation cycle under the revised framework. While the underlying objectives may be familiar, trustees are experiencing real changes in how funding, investment and covenant decisions must be articulated, evidenced and justified.
This session draws on early experience from live valuations to examine what trustees are doing differently in practice, where additional cost and resource pressures are emerging, and how schemes are navigating fast-track and bespoke approaches.
Breakout One
The new DB Funding Code is now live, with schemes entering the first valuation cycle under the revised framework. While the underlying objectives may be familiar, trustees are experiencing real changes in how funding, investment and covenant decisions must be articulated, evidenced and justified.
This session draws on early experience from live valuations to examine what trustees are doing differently in practice, where additional cost and resource pressures are emerging, and how schemes are navigating fast-track and bespoke approaches.
The DC market is at a turning point, as it faces rapid consolidation, assets and governance are increasingly concentrated in large master trusts. At the same time, government policy is pushing schemes toward productive finance, where scale plays an important role.
This session will explore how consolidation is reshaping trustee influence and governance expectations, and what this means for trustee decision-making. It will explore whether scale improves outcomes and how trustees can balance the considerations between fiduciary duty and policy ambition.
Breakout Two
The DC market is at a turning point, as it faces rapid consolidation, assets and governance are increasingly concentrated in large master trusts. At the same time, government policy is pushing schemes toward productive finance, where scale plays an important role.
This session will explore how consolidation is reshaping trustee influence and governance expectations, and what this means for trustee decision-making. It will explore whether scale improves outcomes and how trustees can balance the considerations between fiduciary duty and policy ambition.
The new DB Funding Code is now live, with schemes entering the first valuation cycle under the revised framework. While the underlying objectives may be familiar, trustees are experiencing real changes in how funding, investment and covenant decisions must be articulated, evidenced and justified.
This session draws on early experience from live valuations to examine what trustees are doing differently in practice, where additional cost and resource pressures are emerging, and how schemes are navigating fast-track and bespoke approaches.
Breakout Three
DB endgame decisions are increasingly shaped by market conditions rather than funding levels alone. Volatile bond markets, insurer capacity constraints and high asset valuations have introduced new timing and risks for trustees considering buy-in, buy-out or run-on strategies.
This session moves beyond possible routes and execution mechanics to examine how trustees can factor market context into strategic decision-making within the endgame, and how they are assessing whether to lock in outcomes.
As DB funding positions improve, the topic of surplus is at the forefront of many scheme discussions. For many boards, these are relatively new conversations that require careful consideration of scheme objectives, funding outcomes and sponsor perspectives.
This session looks at how trustees are approaching surplus discussions in practice and the decision-making around how it can be used productively to support scheme objectives. Looking at examples of approaches that have been implemented and successfully aligned with fiduciary duties, delivering value for both members and sponsors.
As the role of the professional trustee continues to evolve, effectiveness is increasingly defined not by technical expertise alone but by how one engages with peers on a trustee board.
Drawing on real boardroom experience, this panel explores the qualities that underpin a well-functioning board and the journey to the best outcome. From managing diverse perspectives and interests, to building relationships and supporting fellow trustees through challenge and complexity, the discussion focuses on how boards successfully work in practice.
It will examine how trustees align short-term decisions with long-term scheme and sponsor objectives, demonstrating how effective board dynamics enable clearer judgement, stronger governance and better outcomes for members.
This session will address:
- Managing diverse views and conflicts of interest
- The journey and methods of creating consensus
- Coaching techniques to encourage involvement in decision-making
- Aligning short-term decisions with long-term scheme and sponsor objectives
