About HAT Trustees

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About HAT Trustees

HAT Trustees specialises in professional independent trusteeship to occupational pension schemes. We aim to make a difference and put people at the centre of our culture.

Pension Trusteeship is, for many, a challenging role and one which today is becoming ever more under the spotlight with increasing responsibilities, demands and regulatory overview. It requires a proactive approach and an understanding of the big picture, balancing funding and investment decisions, covenant and contribution requirements and, crucially, an exemplary standard of governance.

This remains the cornerstone of effective and robust management. Excellence in governance drives good decision making and demonstrates accountability.

HAT Trustees is frequently required to solve a ‘multi hat’ governance problem – with conflicts of interest often being inherent in pension schemes. We have specialist knowledge and experience across many types of schemes and business sectors, enabling us to use our skills to best support and look after your pension scheme.

We are a safe pair of hands.

Our Approach

Ahead in Governance: effective guidance and direction

As a trustee we seek to be effective, collegiate and provide guidance and direction (rather than being controlling or dominating at the expense of the contribution of our fellow trustees). Sometimes a more positive lead may be required and we are happy to give it. We believe we are personal to work with and seek to be a good fit for our fellow trustees.

We are committed to doing the very best in our work for those with whom we work. We totally understand the need to work collegiately with the sponsors rather than in isolation or against their interests. Polarised positions are never a good thing. It’s all about finding a way of working enabling the various and sometimes competing interests of the different groups to be satisfied. One thing HAT does pride itself on is good governance, not because it is red tape for the sake of it but because it drives good decision making and robustness in reason and rationality for trustee decisions. We aim to be the very best.

Ahead in expertise: pragmatic decision making

At HAT we have experience in people management, understand the sensitivities of competing interests, have governance skills and an extensive appreciation of trust duties and their practical application. We are familiar with handling dispute resolution issues and investigations into member complaints as well as an all important understanding of corporate and commercial matters.

We also have professional financial and accountancy skills which enable us to better appreciate a sponsor’s financial position. This enables us to tailor any need for covenant advice when it is needed. Our broad skill set enables us to ask sensible and informed questions of the sponsor in a sensitive way so that any external advice is directed to the point it is needed. It also adds to our ability to make pragmatic decisions.

Ahead in Trusteeship: maximising opportunities for the scheme

Similarly we are well verse in compliance and regulatory aspects. Our personnel have worked with the Pensions Regulator (and other regulators in different sectors including financial services).

High on our agenda is ensuring exemplary standards of governance which are the cornerstone of good decision making, itself a driver for good scheme management and fund performance.

We understand the pressures on trustee boards today and sponsors alike and seek to play our part working with them to maximise the opportunities for the scheme and its business efficiency for the sponsors.