Professional trustee programme

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Our professional trustee programme helps pension schemes appoint the right professional trustee.

We run a transparent, structured and independent process that delivers robust shortlists, stakeholder alignment and great outcomes – this is a value add service we provide for all our clients. 

20 +

Successful trustee appointments

100 %

Independent and conflict-free process

2 £bn+

Trusted by schemes from £25m to £2bn+

What is the Hymans Robertson professional trustee programme (HRPTP)?

The HRPTP is a structured, independent service that supports pension schemes in selecting and appointing a professional trustee. Whether you’re seeking a sole trustee, trustee chair or co-trustee, we help you define your needs, engage the market, and appoint the right individual or firm to support your scheme’s governance journey.

The role of trustees is becoming more complex, with increasing regulatory demands, governance expectations and strategic decisions to navigate. Appointing the right professional trustee can bring clarity, experience and confidence to your board – but the selection process itself can be time-consuming and difficult to navigate. That’s where we come in.

We manage the full process from start to finish, from scoping your requirements through to supporting your final decision. This includes identifying suitable candidates and running a fair, transparent and auditable selection process.

We start with a kick-off call, taking time upfront to really understand your current situation, what you’re grappling with, and what you’re looking to achieve over the longer term. Where there are technical, skills or experience gaps on your trustee board, we’ll help you explore these and understand what additional support may be helpful.

We’ll also talk through the type of candidate you’re looking for, considering both technical capability and cultural fit, to ensure we’re clear on the profile that will add the most value to your board.

From there, we build a clear plan aligned to your timeline. We coordinate initial engagement with candidates, manage the interview process, and support you through to final decision‑making.

To keep everything running smoothly, we simply ask that you provide consistent feedback on candidates at each stage of the process.

We’re completely independent, with no commercial ties to trustee firms. We’ve supported over twenty successful appointments across schemes of all sizes, using a structured, efficient process that’s tailored to each client’s needs. We have a deep understanding of the full professional trustee landscape and are well‑versed in recommending individuals and firms from across the whole market, ensuring the right fit for each scheme. We’re trusted by clients and trustee firms alike for our integrity and professionalism.

As well as happy clients, we consistently find that professional trustees value going through our process, even where they are ultimately unsuccessful, due to the clear structure and detailed feedback provided. We also support the selection of covenant and legal advisers, offering a joined‑up approach to governance.

Benefits of working with us

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20+ successful trustee appointments delivered

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100% independent and conflict-free process

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This is a complimentary value-add service

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Trusted by schemes ranging from £25m to £2bn+

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Strong relationships across the full trustee landscape

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Consistently positive client and candidate feedback

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PITstop with Vidett

In this episode of PITstop, Lisa Whitfield is joined by Helen Beckinsale, Head of Relationship Management at Vidett, to discuss the future of professional trusteeship. 

To see the full series of our PITstop vides, please click the link below.

Watch more

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“Hymans Robertson supported us to identify and appoint a professional trustee chair for our DC Governance Committee. The team provided us with insight and advice on the range of different candidates in the market as well as running a thorough and objectives led process. We were delighted with the shortlist collated and after reviewing RFPs and conducting interviews, we were able to make a great appointment. This is a really valuable service that the Hymans team offers.”

Chief People Officer DC Pension Scheme
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"Lisa ran a great process for us – she made everything feel effortlessly smooth and allowed us to make a great appointment. I would highly recommend working with Hymans Robertson."

Chief Executive DB Pension Scheme
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“Hymans Robertson provided an incredibly supportive and professional experience. As an independent trustee, I appreciated Lisa and Claire’s clear guidance, constructive preparation, and genuinely human approach throughout the recruitment process. I felt confident and well prepared at every stage.”

Professional Independent Trustee

Frequently asked questions

A professional trustee is an independent pensions expert appointed to a trustee board to strengthen governance, decision-making and confidence - particularly where schemes are complex, under pressure or evolving.

You may consider appointing a professional trustee when a scheme’s governance needs are evolving — for example, as complexity increases, decisions become more strategic, or the trustee board would benefit from additional independence, capacity or experience. A professional trustee can strengthen decision making, support effective challenge and help ensure the board is operating as well as it can. The appointment is often considered as part of a broader focus on board effectiveness, ensuring the right skills, dynamics and structures are in place to support good outcomes over the long term.

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Professional trustees strengthen governance, improve decision‑making, reduce risk, ensure regulatory compliance, and support efficient scheme operations — particularly during funding negotiations, endgame planning, or periods of significant change. They can also bring specialist experience to fill critical knowledge gaps on the board.

A scheme can add additional professional trustees to their scheme to compliment the current professional trustee holding the Chair of Trustees role, or as a supporting co-trustee. This is typical on large schemes, and the second independent trustee would bring a different set of skills or knowledge to the existing trustee.

The best professional trustee will have the right blend of experience, independence, technical pension knowledge and cultural fit. Using an objective, evidence‑based selection process helps ensure the appointment meets the scheme’s specific needs and future strategy.
Most schemes complete the selection process within 4–8 weeks. A structured process - including scoping, candidate assessment, interviews and due diligence - helps ensure a timely and well‑governed appointment.
Key criteria include technical pension expertise, governance approach, independence, track record, availability, communication style and cultural alignment. References, case studies and clear evidence of impact can also help distinguish candidates. It's also important to consider fee structures and value for money, and we can support schemes by benchmarking fees and assisting with commercial discussions and negotiations as part of the selection process. 
Both models can work well. Sole trusteeship provides efficiency and consistency, while a mixed board combines independent expertise with employer and member representation. The right model depends on your scheme’s needs, risk profile and governance maturity.
An independent facilitator removes bias, ensures transparent comparison, manages conflicts of interest, and provides expertise in assessing technical, behavioural and cultural fit. This gives trustees confidence that the appointment is robust, fair and aligned with the scheme’s objectives.

You may wish to do a light-touch review on an annual basis, similar to an employee end-of-year review, and a more in-depth review every few years, with a full market review where this is deemed necessary. This is consistent with the way in which most pension scheme advisory and board appointments are operated.

Our professional trustee programme

Need help selecting a professional trustee or sole trustee for your pension scheme?

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View our PITstop videos

Watch our short video series where we chat with professional trustees.

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