Women in Pensions Awards 2026: Shortlists revealed!

Congratulations to all those who have made the shortlists for 2026.

The year's event will take place on Wednesday 11 November 2026 at The Brewery in London.

The Women in Pensions Awards aim to shine a spotlight on the work of inspirational women in the pensions sector, along with the mentors and organisations supporting women.

This year, Professional Pensions has had an amazing response, with hundreds of nominees for individuals and companies supporting women in the industry.

All entries have now been assessed by our panel of judges and we are thrilled to reveal this year's shortlists.

Our 2026 shortlists are as follows:

 

Lifetime Achievement Award 

• Anna Rogers

• Fiona Dunsire

• Geraldine Brassett

• Kate Smith

• Samantha Pitt

 

Pensions Woman of the Year 

• Claire Altman (Standard Life)

• Dana Grey (Pension Protection Fund)

• Dweenisha Caleechurn (PwC)

• Helen Ross (XPS Group)

• Jo Darbyshire (Local Pensions Partnership Administration)

• Kim Gubler (KGC Associates)

• Nell McRae (Hymans Robertson)

• Sarah Leslie (ndapt)

• Sophia Singleton (XPS Group)

• Tess Page (Mercer)

 

Pensions Manager of the Year 

• Dawn Thorne (Sainsbury's)

• Elizabeth Sumner (TotalEnergies)

• Emma Hebblethwaite (Local Pensions Partnership Administration)

• Jennifer Devine (Wiltshire Council)

• Louise Williamson (Aviva)

• Mandy Rigg (Evoke)

• Faye Smith (Stellantis)

• Rema Lawrence (PwC)

• Sara Leacroft (Smiths Group)

• Stephanie Nuttall (M&G)

 

Trustee of the Year

• Cath Williams (Aretas Trustees)

• Clare James (Zedra)

• Clare Kember (Independent Governance Group)

• Elizabeth Hartree (Law Debenture)

• Joanne Fairbairn (Zedra)

• Louise Davey (Independent Governance Group)

• Lynne Rawcliffe (Law Debenture)

• Pin-Nee Tang (ndapt)

• Priti Ruparelia (Independent Governance Group)

• Rachel Tranter (BESTrustees)

• Tegs Harding (Independent Governance Group)

 

Adviser of the Year 

• Alison Leslie (Hymans Robertson)

• Anne-Marie Gillon (Quantum Advisory)

• Claire Eist (Brightwell)

• Dweenisha Caleechurn (PwC)

• Hannah Brinton (Aon)

• Jeni Flanagan (Barnett Waddingham)

• Kristy Cotton (PwC)

• Laura Caudwell (Aon)

• Sophie Tennison (WTW)

• Tess Page (Mercer)

 

Lawyer of the Year

• Bushra Raja (Aon)

• Kate Robson (TPT Retirement Solutions)

• Charlotte Cartwright (Eversheds Sutherland)

• Hannah Marjoram (Pacific Life Re)

• Hannah Ross (Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann)

• Jane Kola (Arc Pensions Law)

• Parminder Kaur Latimer (Gunnercooke)

• Rosalind Connor (Temple Bright)

• Vikki Massarano (Arc Pensions Law)

• Yanghui Ren (Pension Protection Fund)

 

Sales/Marketing/Communications Professional of the Year 

• Amy Mankelow (Brightwell)

• Anna Howlett (Gallagher)

• Eleanor Levy (Now Pensions)

• Jayne Goodwin (Aviva)

• Jennifer Cook (TPT Retirement Solutions)

• Jenny Hazan (L&G)

• Jess Williams (Standard Life)

• Shaily Sodha (Gallagher)

• Susan Hope (Scottish Widows)

• Tannaz Rastegar (Independent Governance Group)

 

Administrator of the Year

• Becky Jaques (Barnett Waddingham)

• Clare Hillier (Nest)

• Clare Maguire (Isio)

• Elizabeth Shaw (Aon)

• Jenny Smith (Quantum Advisory)

• Kathryn McClintock (Isio)

• Leanne Squires (Scottish Widows)

• Nicole Sullivan (LCP)

• Sasha Bravery (WTW)

 

Investment Manager of the Year

• Anne-Marie Morris (L&G)

• Charlotte Vincent (People's Pension)

• Enya Collins (Pension Protection Fund)

• Jhuen Lee (Mercer)

• Josephine Halladay-Garrett (Pension Protection Fund)

• Maria Nazarova-Doyle (IFM Investors)

• Maria Vanegas (Apollo Global Management)

• Melinda Butler (Surrey Pension Fund)

• Nicki Hinton-Jones (Timeline)

 

Young Achiever of the Year

• Amber Patel (LCP)

• Anisa Aziz (Eversheds Sutherland)

• Bessie Hamilton (XPS Group)

• Chloe Horne (Nest)

• Hettie Scriven-Seager (L&G)

• Katie North-Walker (LCP)

• Marianna Hunt (Fidelity International)

• Nkolika Ezepue (XPS Group)

• Rebecca Leiper (Scottish Widows)

• Rhianna McCullough-Bray (Gallagher)

 

Newcomer of the Year

• Abi Cooke (Hymans Robertson)

• Briony Kloet (Aviva)

• Christabel Oparah (Barnett Waddingham)

• Emily Boxall (2mins)

• Francesca Rutt (WTW)

• Hattie Tales (Heka Global) 

• Marianna Hunt (Fidelity International)

• Rebecca Leiper (Scottish Widows)

• Vaishnavi Srinivasan (EQ Retirement Solutions)

• Vivian Matthews (Norton Rose Fulbright)

 

Innovator of the Year 

• Alison Fisher (WTW)

• Christy Jo Wharton (WTW)

• Claire Thistlethwaite (Capita) 

• Danielle Sissons (Ivey Financial Planning)

• Emily Boxall (2mins)

• Hattie Tales (Heka Global)

• Kim Toker (Future Focused Advisory)

• Kristy Cotton (PwC) 

• Lily McNally (Scottish Widows)

• Megan Worthing-Davies (Maji Financial Wellbeing)

 

Mentor of the Year 

• Amanda Cooke (CMS)

• Ann-Louise Seziner (Nest)

• Catriona McDougall (Hymans Robertson)

• Helen Prior (Mercer) 

• Kate Emily Leigh (Vidett) 

• Kate Smith (Aegon UK)

• Katy Hurren (Aviva) 

• Leanne Coomber (Dalriada Trustees)

• Nathalie Simms (LCP)

• Sinead Leahy (Mercer)

• Victoria Panormo (Aviva)

 

Team Leader of the Year 

• Alexa Mitterhuber (Standard Life)

• Anna Copestake (Arc Pensions Law)

• Anne-Marie Morris (L&G)

• Charlotte Jones (XPS Group)

• Fiona Brown (Rolls-Royce)

• Jayne McGrillen (Hymans Robertson)

• Louise Jack (LPPI)

• Miriam Kimber (Pension Protection Fund) 

• Navisha Smith (Aviva) 

• Nina Hastings (L&G)

• Priya Jassal (Capita)

• Susan Hickton-Cragg (EQ)

 

LGBTQI+ Trailblazer Award 

• Claire Kennedy (Mercer)

• Nicci Take (Mercer) 

• Sophie Davis (Capita) 

 

Unsung Hero Award

• Alexandra Miles (L&G Investment Management)

• Amanda Cooke (CMS)

• Anna Bujok-Stone (WTW)

• Caroline Monteith (Mercer) 

• Clare Maguire (Isio)

• Danuta Nott (Muse Advisory) 

• Emma Kaye (Aviva)

• Evey Tang (Standard Life) 

• Genevieve Parry (Royal London) 

• Jenna Burbeary (Gallagher) 

• Kelsey Marriner (XPS Group)

• Shevonne McLarnon (Scottish Widows) 

 

Sustainability & ESG Woman of the Year

• Ashley Hamilton Claxton (Royal London Asset Management)

• Ashton Vickers (Isio)

• Chloe Horne (Nest)

• Lauren Willington (Independent)

• Leanne Clements (People's Pension)

• Lisa Lau (Mercer)

• Malea Figgins (TCW)

• Maria Nazarova-Doyle (IFM Investors)

• Ruth Bryson (Royal London)

• Teju Akande (Border to Coast)

 

Organisational Award for Supporting Diversity

• Deloitte

• Isio

• Law Debenture

• Pension Protection Fund

• Quantum Advisory

• Sackers

• Society of Pension Professionals

• XPS Group

 

Visit our Women in Pensions event website here where you can find information about table bookings.