ZEDRA, a specialist in active wealth, corporate and global expansion, and fund solutions, is boosting its presence in the UK pension space. 

In response to the complex pensions regulatory system, ZEDRA is launching a new pensions-focused offering, Pensions & Incentives, which will consist of six offices across the UK and Guernsey.

The launch follows several recent acquisitions in the UK pension services space by ZEDRA, the firm said. These include Inside Pensions, a leading independent occupational pension scheme governance support provider and PTL, a leading independent pension trustee and governance services provider, both launched in 2021.

Most recently, the firm acquired Caledonian Trustees Limited, a specialist provider of professional independent trustee and secretarial services to corporate pension and funeral plans.

As the new offering goes live, PTL Limited has adopted the ZEDRA brand and become ZEDRA Governance Limited, the firm added. 

ZEDRA said it is launching this offering as the UK pension trustee and governance services sector is undergoing significant changes and facing challenges that will require both dedicated effort and investment from long-term owners.

As the regulatory system has become increasingly complex over recent years, so has the challenge of running a pension scheme for employers and trustees alike, the firm added.

The number of pension schemes requiring support is expected to continue to grow for the foreseeable future, due to significantly increased regulatory and compliance burdens, a focus on end game strategies which benefit from professional trustee knowledge and understanding, and a lack of available company or member nominated trustees. With its new Pensions & Incentives offering, ZEDRA is expanding its services to meet these needs, the firm said.

ZEDRA Pensions & Incentives Services will consist of six offices in London, Reading, Leeds, Birmingham, St Albans and Guernsey, made up of approximately 80 specialists. It has plans to expand the team with acquisitions in the near future in the UK and Europe.

By entering the pension services industry now, the firm said it is strengthening its 20 years of presence in the employee incentive solutions and pension services space, providing global clients with employee benefits, trustee services, pensions and associated administrative solutions, through a dedicated team in Guernsey.

Welcoming the new offering, Ivo Hemelraad, ZEDRA chief executive officer, said: “The journey we started with the acquisition of Interben Trustees Limited in 2019 followed by Inside Pensions, PTL and more recently, Caledonian Trustees, brings us to a market-leading position for outsourced pension services in the UK pension space and abroad.”

“Our dedicated teams with unrivalled expertise allow us to offer even greater service to those who are committed to providing the highest quality pension schemes available,” he added.

ZEDRA offers a range of corporate and global expansion, active wealth, and fund solutions, catering to clients including high net worth individuals and their families. It also caters to large-size companies, pension funds and trustees, asset managers and their investors, across Asia, Oceania, the Americas and Europe.