Abdul Nabi, who has been a Company-nominated Trustee Director since February 2017, stepped down from his role and retired on 31 December 2019. We spoke to Abdul about his time on the Trustee Board.
1. What have you enjoyed most about being a Trustee Director?
Abdul: I’ve really enjoyed the diverse nature of the role; running a pension scheme is rather complicated! There are always lots of different things to grapple with which include deciding on the best investments to make, how to manage risks that could affect the Scheme, and ensuring that we remain compliant with the Scheme Rules and new regulations. I’ve found this challenging but also hugely rewarding.
2. What did you learn whilst being on the Board?
Abdul: I suppose I didn’t really appreciate the huge amount of work that is required to run the Scheme. Investments of over £11 billion need to be carefully managed in order to safeguard the benefits of around 110,000 members. There are a lot of unsung heroes working in the background to ensure this happens and members should take great comfort from the fact that a combination of an excellent Trustee Executive Team, first class service providers and a professional Board of trustees all work tirelessly to ensure members best interests are served.
3. What are you looking forward to the most in your retirement?
Abdul: I actually retired from full time employment with M&S in April 2019 but stayed on as a Company-nominated trustee until the end of the year. Having spent the summer watching lots of sport and managing a renovation project at home, I’m now turning my mind to looking at how I can use my experience to contribute to other not for profit organisations in the community.
4. Any last words?
Abdul: Many thanks to all of those who have supported me during my tenure. It’s been a real privilege serving you, the members, and I wish all of you the very best for the future.
Graham Oakley, Chairman of the M&S Pensions Scheme, comments “It has been a pleasure working with Abdul over for the past few years. He played a key role as Chair of the Finance, Audit & Risk Committee and his leadership experience and background in tax and finance has been invaluable. On behalf of the Trustee Board I would like to thank him for his time and professionalism and wish him a very happy retirement.”
The Company has selected Adam Dobbs, Food Finance Director, to fill the position of Company-nominated Trustee Director. He joined the Trustee Board on 1 January 2020, and we’ll be catching up with him soon as he settles into his role.
You can find the full list of current Trustee Directors under Meet the Trustee.