Meet the Pensions Board of Trustees
The Trustees of the Scheme are appointed and may be removed in accordance with the Trust's Deed and Rules. There are eight Trustees, four are chosen by the National Trust (NT) and the other four are Member Nominated trustees (MNTs) and are chosen by members of the Scheme.
Pensions Board of Trustees
Following the election process for the vacancy of a Member Nominated Trustee in December 2022, the elected nominee is Nick Lawrence who will serve a three-year term of office.
Member Nominated Trustees
Nicky Grace
Nicky retired from the National Trust at the end of 2014 and now lives in Teesdale in County Durham. As well as the pension scheme, she is involved with the local arts centre and Darlington College.
Nicky’s life is also busy with walking, gardening, theatre, holidays and meeting new and old friends – including former colleagues.
Nick Lawrence
Nick Lawrence joined the NT 36 years ago and, although always based in Cornwall he has had various roles during his career.
A Chartered Surveyor by background, he is currently Assistant Director - Consultancy. Nick is on the Board of The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Nature Partnership and involved in other local charities and organisations.
Still living in Cornwall, he is passionate about the coast and the outdoors and keen on walking, water sports and travel
Peter Nixon
Peter retired from the National Trust after 32 years in a variety of roles including Land agent, Regional Director, Chief agent and Director of Conservation.
More than 20 years on the executive team provided long experience of the operation of the National Trust pension scheme from the employer’s perspective and a deep appreciation of the importance of the scheme to its members.
His conservation interests continue, including as Chairman of Harper Adams University governing body, a Trustee of a conservation board for the Clinton Devon Estate, and until recently, a Non-Executive Director representing the Forestry Commission on the board of Forest Holidays.
Peter Pearce
Peter worked for the National Trust for 13 years as a land agent in the East Midlands and then southern regions, directing the restoration of Uppark in West Sussex after its devastating fire in 1989.
Afterwards he was Director of the Landmark Trust, the Edward James Foundation running West Dean College for the teaching of conservation and the arts in West Sussex, and the West Horsley Place Trust, created by Bamber Gascoigne to restore West Horsley Place in Surrey as a centre for the visual and performing arts and the teaching of crafts.
National Trust Nominated
Ian Bailey
Ian was an Associate of the CFA Society of the UK and a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Securities Institute. Ian retired in 2016 from Aon where he was Head of the Delegated Consulting Business in Europe. Before joining Aon, Ian was a Managing Director at BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited and its predecessor companies.
Ian has over 30 years of broad industry experience including 15 years as a Fund manager and 10 years as a Trustee of the Mercury Asset Management and Merrill Lynch UK Pension Plans.
Ross Russell
Ross has worked as a professional independent pension trustee for 18 years. He works with UK defined benefit schemes sponsored by commercial or charity organisations. These are of all sizes from £200m to £10bn and he works as trustee chair, co- trustee or on investment panels. He has qualifications in pensions management, investment, corporate finance, law and as an actuary. He was with consulting actuaries Hymans Robertson for 18 years, ending as senior London partner and head of the actuarial practice for the firm.
Ross lives in Suffolk. Outside of his professional work he is an amateur luthier, bread-baker and wine-maker among other interests
Janet Thomson (Chair)
Janet Thomson is an experienced Chair of Trustee Boards and Trustee with some 30 years’ experience in UK and Irish pensions, involving closed and open defined benefit (both final salary and career average) schemes and defined contribution (both trust and third party insurer) arrangements.
Having been a Trustee Director and Chair of the investment committee for nearly six years, Janet was appointed Chair of this Scheme in March 2023. She also chairs the Places for People Pension Scheme.
Janet enjoys travelling, photography and spending time with her husband and friends at their second home in France.
Nita Tinn
Nita is a solicitor by profession, and has been a pension trustee since 2001 before turning “professional” and working as an independent trustee since 2005.
She retired in December 2022 but cannot stay away from the world of pensions so has joined the board and will be chairing the investment committee. Nita has been involved with pension schemes of all shapes and sizes, both as a board member and a chair. Most recently she chaired the Association of Professional Pension Trustees, where she was instrumental in introducing an accreditation system for professional trustees to ensure high standards of governance.
Nita used to run marathons but now confines herself mostly to Nordic walking, climbing the odd mountain, visiting National Trust properties and spending time with her two small grandchildren when she can.
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