Aptia, a leading provider of pension administration, consultancy and actuarial services, has appointed James Burke as Actuary Director, strengthening the firm's advisory capabilities as demand grows for specialist actuarial and pensions expertise. 

James joins Aptia from Aon, where he spent almost 25 years building a reputation as a trusted adviser to pension scheme trustees and sponsors. A Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, he brings extensive experience across trustee consulting, scheme funding, de-risking, GMP equalisation and endgame strategy. 

Commenting on the announcement that Torsten Bell is to remain as Pensions Minister under new Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Malcolm Reynolds, Aptia’s UK President, said: ‘We welcome the confirmation that Torsten Bell will remain as Pensions Minister. At a time when pension adequacy, investment reform and retirement outcomes are firmly in the spotlight, continuity of leadership is particularly important. 

Aptia has appointed Jyotsna Kaushik as Head of Modelling and Monitoring within its Investment Consulting practice, further strengthening the firm's capabilities in investment modelling, risk management and strategic pension scheme advisory services. 

Aptia, a leading provider of pension administration, consultancy and actuarial services, has appointed Ian Burns as Head of Investment Consulting as it continues to strengthen its range of strategic advisory services for pension scheme trustees and sponsors. 

Ian brings more than 30 years of experience in pensions and investment consulting, having advised trustee boards and corporate clients throughout his career. A qualified actuary, he has held senior leadership positions across some of the UK's largest professional services and employee benefits firms. 

Aptia, a leading provider of pension administration, consultancy and actuarial services, has appointed Wendy Neller as Senior Consultant within its growing consulting practice, to enhance its expertise across pension scheme operations, governance and regulatory strategy - including within the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). 

The Department for Work and Pensions has today launched a consultation on draft regulations which would allow trustees of well-funded defined benefit pension schemes to release surplus funds to sponsoring employers 

Responding to the consultation, John Wilson, Aptia’s Head of Pensions Technical, said: ‘We welcome the focus on making DB surplus more accessible - in particular, the option to pay lump sums without additional tax charges.