Our people
Our Defined Benefits team provide insurance for the trustees of all our schemes. Whether they work in business development or asset sourcing, their goal is achieving the best possible outcome for a scheme and its members.
Everyone who works at Just cares about helping people achieve a better later life. We only recruit people who believe in our social purpose and share our values.
Pretty Sagoo
Managing Director
Pretty brings her unique energy, vision and deep expertise to Just. She joined from Athora in 2022, where she headed up New Business and Pensions. Before this, Pretty was Head of Pricing and Execution for L&G and Head of Insurance at Deutsche Bank. At Just, she’s also a member of the Just Group Executive Committee.
Her extensive career in pensions and insurance helps us seize on the opportunities in the DB market to secure a better later life for pension scheme members. Her vision is to continue delivering a service that sets Just apart - supporting schemes of all sizes.
DB Commercial
Rob Mechem
Director of Commercial
01737 233 307
Rob.Mechem@wearejust.co.uk
Rob joined us from Aviva in 2014. A qualified life insurance actuary, his actuarial expertise helps ensure we’re asking the right questions, so we maximise value for trustees and advisers. Outside work, Rob is a keen marathon runner.
Pete Jennings
Head of DB Sales
01737 827 381
Peter.Jennings@wearejust.co.uk
Pete is responsible for a panel of key advisers and our streamlined quotation process. He joined the DB team from another part of Just Group in 2017. Previous roles include individual annuity product manager. His hobbies include being up at all hours following American football, looking after his twins or cycling.
Martin Parker
Senior Business Development Manager
01737 308 739
Martin.Parker@wearejust.co.uk
Martin joined us in 2012 and has a wealth of experince and insights in bulk annuities - starting out in this space in 1993. Prior roles include business development at Prudential and advising trustees at Mercer. At Just DB, he's responsible for a panel of key advisers. Away from work, Martin supports Southampton and loves music.
Ross Breckon
Business Development Manager
Ross.Breckon@wearejust.co.uk
Ross joined Just in 2023. As a Business Development Manager, he leads Just's relationship with consultancies, independent trustees and individual schemes - from initial discussions through to signing a buy-in contract. Before moving to Just, Ross worked as a risk transfer consultant advising schemes from £2mn to £4bn. In his spare time, you can usually find him on the football pitch, running trails or helping out on the family farm.
Geraint Jones
Business Development Manager
01737 827 770
Geraint.Jones@wearejust.co.uk
Geraint joined Just in 2023. He leads our relationship with consultancies, independent trustees and individual schemes, from initial discussions through to signing a buy-in contract. Before moving to Just, Geraint worked as an actuary and pensions consultant for 10 years at LCP and Aon, including as a risk transfer adviser to schemes from £10mn to £6.5bn. Outside work, Geraint is kept busy by his two toddlers and is now an inadvertent expert in Birmingham's soft play centres and petting farms. He also enjoys watching and playing football.
Kishan Radia
Business Development Manager
01737 308886
Kishan.Radia@wearejust.co.uk
Kish joined Just as a graduate in 2018. He manages buy-in projects for schemes of all sizes, from quote stage through to transaction. He spent the first four years of his career in our Pricing team, and is working towards the actuarial qualification. Away from work, Kish loves travelling and underwater exploring.
Alma Goyanes-Payne
Deal Manager
01737 827 781
Alma.Goyanes-Payne@wearejust.co.uk
Alma has been with us since 2019. Her role in the Commercial team is to oversee Beacon, Just's streamlined service for quoting and transacting for smaller schemes. Before joining the Commercial team in 2024, she spent three years as part of the post-transaction team, supporting schemes with their data cleanse through to buy-out. Alma's favourite hobbies include playing tennis or badminton (depending on the weather) and travelling.
Jon Appleby
Strategic Business Development Manager
01737 308 827
Jon.Appleby@wearejust.co.uk
Jon joined Just as a qualified actuary in 2019 and spent four years leading the technical pricing on an array of deals. His current focus is on solving deal-specific challenges for large or complex cases. Jon was a keen hockey player at university and is plotting a long overdue return to the astroturf after an extended post pandemic hiatus.
Prashant Mehta
Head of Reinsurance Relationships
01737 233 349
Prashant.Mehta@wearejust.co.uk
Prashant is responsible for developing relationships with new and existing reinsurers, to help widen our panel of reinsurance partners. A qualified pensions actuary, he joined from Aon in 2012 when the DB team was set up at Just. Outside work, Prash's energy is focused on his young family.
Andy Fryer
Head of Proposition Development
01737 308 836
Andy.Fryer@wearejust.co.uk
Andy leads our Proposition Development team. He's responsible for setting strategy around how we evolve our bulk annuity proposition, so it meets all our clients' needs, now and in the future. Prior to joining us in 2023, Andy spent over 15 years at Aon working as an actuarial consultant, advising trustees and sponsors on all aspects of DB pension schemes. Away from work, Andy likes running and spending time with his children.
DB Member and Operational Services
Laura Pertile
Director of Member and Operational Services
01737 233 044
Laura.Pertile@wearejust.co.uk
Laura joined Just DB in 2020. Her extensive operational expertise and caring, customer-first approach are enhancing our trustee and member experience. Her philosophy is that every member counts, whatever the size of a pension scheme. Before bringing her skills and experience to Just, Laura was Head of Pensions Administration at Equiniti, and previously held senior operational roles at Retirement Advantage and L&G. Her favourite hobbies include cooking, sailing and travelling.
Alex Collins
Head of Member and Client Services
01737 308 741
Alex.Collins@wearejust.co.uk
Alex joined Just in 2018. Since starting his career in the defined benefit administration space around 25 years ago, Alex has looked after hundreds of schemes of all sizes. His top priority is ensuring all members receive the good outcomes they deserve. This means delivering the right services to the right members and empowering teams to innovate and provide tailored support. Alex believes in making a real difference for members who need it the most. Outside work, the joy of having a young family fills most of his time. But he does enjoy finding a few hours here and there for some peaceful time in the gym.
Chris Hall
Head of Post Transaction and Operational Reinsurance Services
01737 233 347
Chris.Hall@wearejust.co.uk
Chris joined us in 2011, originally working in our individual annuity teams, before moving to the defined benefit space in 2014. His role is to support schemes through their data cleanse, onboarding with our third party administrator and then ultimately helping the scheme move through to buy-out. Chris also works with our external reinsurance partners to support a smooth operational experience. In his spare time, you'll most likely find him at a non-league football ground or watching cricket.
Sherry Thorngate
Head of True-Up
01737 233 242
Sherry.Thorngate@wearejust.co.uk
Sherry has worked in financial services for over 20 years. She joined Just in 2014 and is a qualified actuary. In 2022, she moved to the post-transaction DB Operational team at Just. Sherry is helping to build the team and to enhance our member and trustee experiences after a transaction. Her top hobbies include cooking and gardening.
Data and Integration
Heather Vaughan
Director of DB Data & Integration
01737 233 060
Heather.Vaughan@wearejust.co.uk
Heather joined Just in 2012, bringing her previous experience in the pension de-risking market to set up our initial DB operational capability. Today, she focuses on our data capability to support our business. Heather previously held senior operational roles at Prudential, Paternoster and Rothesay Life. Outside of work, Heather enjoys going to the gym, skiing and travelling.
Pricing and Reinsurance
Tom Bulpitt
Director of DB Pricing and Reinsurance
0207 4448 043
Tom.Bulpitt@wearejust.co.uk
Tom joined Just Group in 2023 and leads both the front-end BPA pricing, as well as the related onwards reinsurance activity. Prior to this Tom held two roles at Athora Group, covering balance sheet management and capital strategy, and before that, 10 years as a consulting actuary at Milliman UK. Tom has wide experience in life insurance capital in both the UK and internationally, having advised and executed on a range of capital, reinsurance and M&A transactions. He's a keen wildlife photographer and a qualified field guide of South Africa.
Matthew Nelmes
Head of DB Pricing
01737 308 861
Matthew.Nelmes@wearejust.co.uk
Matt joined Just in 2023 and leads our Pricing team. Matt's team produce our new business quotes, working closely with other colleagues to ensure we deliver the best propositions to our customers. He brings extensive pensions and insurance experience to Just DB, with previous roles at WTW and L&G, where he was involved in a wide range of transactions in both the UK and US markets. In his spare time, Matt enjoys reading and watching live music. He's also a fan of Peterborough United, which brings limited joy!
Marketing
Lesley Heath
Head of DB Marketing
01737 232 859
Lesley.Heath@wearejust.co.uk
Lesley joined us in 2023, bringing over 20 years' experience in financial services marketing - spanning most propositions and disciplines. She's a keen advocate of the impact a joined-up business development and marketing approach can have. Recent roles prior to Just included Aviva, JLT and Octopus Investments. Away from work, Lesley loves running, painting, live music and visiting her two daughters, who live at opposite ends of the country (thankfully her son still lives at home!).
