Patrick Heath-Lay and Kate Jones are among those recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours
People’s Partnership chief executive Patrick Heath-Lay, Pension Protection Fund (PPF) chair Kate Jones, and former Lord Mayor of London Alastair King have been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours.
The honours list – published on Saturday (13 June) to mark the King's official birthday – saw Jones and Heath-Lay both appointed as Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), while Alastair King received a knighthood.
Jones received her award for services to pensions and financial education.
She joined the PPF in 2016 and became chair in 2021. She steps down from the PPF on 30 June at the end of her tenure.
In the citation for the award, Jones was praised for her strong sense of public purpose and commitment to driving change in the pensions sector.
She was also cited for being a strong advocate for financial education – using her platform to make a difference, working with Redstart Educate (now Money Ready) as its first chair of trustees to help young people to have the tools and confidence to manage their money.
King, a former Lord Mayor of London, was commended for driving high-impact initiatives, notably leading the Mansion House Accord to secure a £100bn commitment to private market initiatives from UK pension providers, and conceiving the Employer Pension Pledge.
Heath-Lay was recognised for services to the pensions industry, in which he has worked for more than four decades.
Last year, he celebrated 40 years at People's Partnership, the organisation which he joined as a 16-year-old school leaver in August 1985, first working in the post room before training as an accountant and working his way up through the business.
On his honour Heath-Lay said: "It's really humbling to be recognised in this way and is not something I ever expected to happen when I set out in the world of work as a teenager straight from school more than 40 years ago.
"It's an honour to lead such a wonderful, purpose driven organisation, making a real difference to pension saving in the UK and which has allowed me to develop and grow as a person.
"This recognition is a wonderful surprise and would not have been possible without my family, friends and colleagues who have supported me throughout my career at a company that has given me so much. I have been lucky enough to be able to work with some of the most talented and driven people who share a passion for the purpose of our organisation and who have helped establish People's Pension as a major player in the pensions industry. It's an organisation that has made a genuine difference to the futures of millions of hardworking people across the UK.
"I am very grateful for everything they have given to People's Partnership in making the organisation what it is today."
