Goodbye, Mr SIPP: Moret retires after 40 years

John Moret, marketing director at Suffolk Life, is to retire after 40 years in the industry and almost 20 "banging the SIPP drum".

Moret, known in the industry as ‘Mr SIPP' due to his experience with the products, has worked for provider Suffolk Life since 2004 but will step down at the end of the year.

He has worked in insurance and pensions for 40 years, in a career that has taken him to Sun Life, Provident Life and Personal Pension Management.

"I always planned to retire at 60, but I am pushing 62 now," says Moret. "I have been banging the SIPP drum for 20 years so now is a good time to be moving on.

"It is satisfying to see how far we have come with things like drawdown."

Moret offered a few hints he may resurface in another area of financial services.

"I am not going to work for anyone else in SIPPs. I have a new grandson and a house in Spain that has not been used much; I will probably spend more time watching football and playing tennis.

"I am interested in a few companies, which have nothing to do with SIPPs, so I might help them out a bit."

After a decade of service, property director Peter Weir is also retiring from the business.

Suffolk Life director of product and marketing, Chris Jones, says: "Both John and Peter have contributed an enormous amount to Suffolk Life.

"John, who will doubtless be glad to be travelling to his holiday home in Spain more often rather than to Ipswich, has played a leading role in ensuring that Suffolk Life has received its deserved recognition of being one of the leading providers of SIPPs in the UK, whilst also making significant contributions to the SIPP industry throughout his career.

"In his ten years with Suffolk Life, Peter has created a property team widely regarded as a centre of excellence, and one which now remarkably looks after over 2,000 commercial properties.

"Their collective wisdom, counsel and sense of humour will be missed, and both take with them our warmest wishes into retirement."