Smart Pension hires former Whitehall policy adviser
Dan McLaughlin, a former policy adviser for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), has been appointed head of public affairs and international at Smart Pension.
He advised BIS on small and medium enterprise (SME) policy and strategy for 17 years, and helped develop reforms to help small business start and scale.
McLaughlin will now support Smart Pension by working on advisory papers on topics such as the upcoming Pension Schemes Bill, the 2017 review of auto-enrolment (AE), and modern employment practices.
He joined in December and is based in the financial technology firm's Paddington offices.
McLaughlin said he was excited to join the firm during a big year for AE.
"2017 is a massive year for AE on all sorts of levels," he said. "The number of small businesses expected to enrol this year is exploding, more than doubling the number last year.
"AE is also undergoing a thorough review; the Pension Schemes Bill is a game-changer bill and one that we wholeheartedly support."
He reiterated Smart Pension's call for master trusts which have achieved the master trust assurance framework (MAF) to be granted a swifter authorisation process.
McLaughlin also said he would advise on how AE can be extended to the self-employed and low-paid.
"Self-employment is at record levels totalling 4.75 million, and self-employment has also accounted for nearly half of the increase in total employment since the recession, yet a million of them have made no provision for their retirement," he said.
"Smart Pension is unique in that it's a fintech firm that is tackling the current pension issues this country is facing right now with fresh eyes and energy. I'm really excited to be a part of it."
Co-founder and managing director Will Wynne added: "Dan brings a wealth of knowledge around SME policy-making and beyond. His insight is invaluable as we strive to ensure AE is a success for the long-term."
McLaughlin had been policy adviser for BIS from 1999 until last November.
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