NEST trustee board unveiled

The line up of trustees who will oversee the National Employment Savings Trust has been confirmed by the government.

Current acting chairman Jeannie Drake has been appointed as deputy chairman of NEST Corporation.

Other members of the board are: Tom Boardman; Laurie Edmans; Dianne Hayter; Chris Hitchen; Julius Pursaill; and Sue Slipman.

Pensions minister Angela Eagle said: "These appointments show the government is committed to recruiting people with proven track records and the expertise to get the job done. Being a trustee of NEST will be a challenging role.

"These people bring a wealth of experience in running pension schemes, representing consumer and worker interests, and operating in complex delivery environments."

She said NEST would ensure that all employers had access to a "suitable pension arrangement" to meet their new duties under the Pensions Act 2008 to auto-enrol employees into a workplace pension.

Its aim is to extend occupational pensions - including an employer contribution and tax relief - to millions of employees who currently do not have access to a good workplace pension.

NEST chairman designate Lawrence Churchill took part in the selection process for members.

He says: "We have recruited a number of high calibre individuals who will bring a wide range of skills and experience to the NEST Corporation. With these appointments, I'm confident we have the right team to launch and run NEST.

"Setting up a trust-based, occupational pension scheme, with between 3 and 6 million members, is going to be a major undertaking, and I look forward to working alongside this new team and playing a major part in this radical change to workplace entitlements.''