Renowned scheme actuary joins Barnett Waddingham to bolster growth of large pension scheme clients

A renowned actuarial specialist, Ali Tayyebi has joined Barnett Waddingham as Partner to further enhance the team advising the firm’s growing number of large pension scheme clients. 

Ali Tayyebi will be advising defined benefit (DB) schemes across the UK, with a particular focus on large schemes. Ali brings extensive knowledge and experience giving actuarial advice to complex clients. Ali has been scheme actuary to a number of large, high profile clients - including a significant number of FTSE100 sponsored pension schemes. In this role he supported trustees in working with sponsors to design and implement journey plans, using various types of contingent funding arrangements and trigger based de-risking. He has also supported complex pension scheme restructuring involving, for example, partial wind-ups, bulk transfers and liability management exercises, and has always been an early adopter of innovative de-risking strategies.

During his 30 year career with Mercer, Ali has also held a number of management and professional leadership responsibilities including Leader of the Northern Region offices for the retirement business, Head of DB risk Consulting and Chief Actuary. 

Barnett Waddingham provide the full range of actuarial services to trustees of DB pension schemes working with a wide range of clients in both the private and public sectors – this includes almost 25% of FTSE100 and near 10% of FTSE350 companies.

Ali Tayyebi, Partner at Barnett Waddingham, said: “I have a real passion for making complex issues easy to understand for trustees with all levels of technical experience and expertise and that helps with the engagement and participation of the full Trustee Board.

“I strive to help trustees to develop clear long-term objectives, with a key focus always being on the outcomes and benefit security for the membership. This helps trustees in establishing effective criteria for all their decision-making and working effectively with their sponsoring employers. 

“I am very open to challenging established thinking, including my own, and work hard to find innovative solutions to meet wherever possible sponsor objectives alongside those of the trustees.

“The next few years will be a critical and vibrant period for pension schemes which provides a great opportunity for Barnett Waddingham to continue growing its market share of the larger schemes. I am therefore very excited to be joining the company as we work together on that journey.”

Paul Houghton, Partner and Head of Actuarial Consulting at Barnett Waddingham, said: “Ali is joining us at a time of significant evolution in the DB pension scheme industry. The need for a resilient advisory team supporting trustees as they develop, monitor and reach their long-term objectives is more important than ever before and together with Ali, Barnett Waddingham will continue to adapt and respond in the best way for our clients.

“Our continued commitment and investment in the DB pensions market is underpinned by our market-leading technology and the depth of our resource; and this in turn allows us to continually improve the quality of the service we deliver to all of our clients. Ali, with his vast range of experience, will add another dimension to our already established actuarial team as they support the bespoke services we provide each client.”

Andrew Vaughan, Senior Partner at Barnett Waddingham, said: “Ali’s appointment supports our continued growth and position as a leading independent consultancy in the DB market, where we advise a wide range of schemes across the size spectrum - including an increasing number of larger schemes. His vast experience and unprecedented expertise in the larger scheme arena are invaluable qualities which supplement the already extensive experience of the current Barnett Waddingham team. 

“Our true independence gives us the ability to think freely about various challenges and opportunities that our clients face; our expertise and insights allows us to provide bespoke advice to each and every one of them as and when required. Ali’s ethos and knowledge will support our mantra to do the right thing for our clients and deliver the best possible outcomes.”