Aon plc, a leading global professional services firm has announced the promotion to partner of two of its Leeds-based colleagues.

Sue Austen has had a career in the UK pensions industry spanning over 30 years, the majority of which have been spent with Aon. She leads a team of over 100 colleagues who support trustees and in-house pensions teams in the management of their pension arrangements.

Sue said: “Having briefly held roles at other consultancies, it was joining Aon that provided me with the opportunities that have shaped my career. The mix of continuing to advise clients, developing industry-leading solutions, and holding management responsibilities provides genuine variety which, when combined with working with an inclusive and diverse team, makes this such an exciting role.

“The pensions industry continues to face challenges and with regulatory changes on the horizon, I am very much looking forward to continuing to work with clients and colleagues.”

Andrew Grime is a qualified actuary with over 20 years of pensions industry experience, advising a range of pension schemes, varying in size from £40 million to £4 billion. With his breadth and depth of expertise, Andrew helps schemes set and execute long-term benefit and financing strategies, with a key emphasis on the risk settlement market, where he has a particular focus on the rapidly developing superfund and capital-backed journey plan market.

Andrew said: “I’ve spent my entire career at Aon and am privileged to be part of such a diverse and highly talented team. My role is all about helping clients solve problems, and the pace of change within the pensions industry has provided an enormous opportunity for sponsors and trustees to improve member outcomes, as well as providing exciting opportunities for colleagues looking to broaden their career paths.

“Becoming a partner will enable me not only to shape and influence wider business priorities, but also to focus on further developing the fantastic junior colleagues within the team, so they are equipped to support evolving client needs.”