Meet the Directors - Palwinder Hare
What made you decide to apply to be a Trustee Director?
As a lawyer working on mergers and acquisitions, I have been involved in pension related issues throughout my legal career. This was particularly so whilst I was at BTR in the late 90’s when I worked on various disposals and regularly engaged with the BTR group pension scheme. A few years ago, I became a trustee director of the Standard Chartered Pension Fund. As a deferred member of IPS I received regular information about IPS, had been following its progress for a while. When the opportunity arose to apply to join the IPS trustee board, I was ready to apply and keen to join.
How did your background prepare you for being a Trustee Director?
My legal experience provides me with the technical expertise covering M&A transactions, corporate governance, and commercial matters. My legal roles, in various sectors, have equipped me to look at transactions and issues from a strategic perspective, constructively challenge the structure and terms, assess risks and mitigation and governance and control issues. I previously served as trustee director of the Foyer Federation, a charity supporting young people to realise their potential. This provided me with first-hand experience in the role of a director – supporting and challenging the management team on strategy and its execution. This role also provided me with a strong appreciation of diversity and inclusion and a commitment to equality and social justice. My trustee directorship at Standard Chartered Pension Fund provides me with specific pensions related board knowledge and experience.
How will/do you make a difference?
To make a difference one has to learn and contribute. My initial focus was to understand the complexities of the scheme. I am delighted to serving on the board and pension governance committee. I bring to bear my legal skills and contribute to the board’s role to support and challenge the executive team and professional advisors on strategic matters such as funding, investment, risks and operations. As a member of the pension governance committee, I contribute to the review and monitoring of administration matters and participate in governance decisions. There are lot of documents to review, new regulations and codes to comply with and issues to address. I believe that I can contribute towards good governance and management of the scheme, utilising my legal skills and expertise and steadily increasing knowledge of pension specific issues. Being a trustee director of two schemes allows me to share experience from one scheme to the other. I and my fellow trustees, with their diverse experiences, are committed to steering the scheme in the best interest of the members.
What do you do when you are not thinking about pensions?
I am the head of legal for M&A at Standard Chartered. A role I have been doing for some 16 years. Supporting the Bank's own account M&A transactions globally is more than a full-time job. The role is international with extensive travel. I am married with two children who are at the beginning of their professional careers. I enjoy travelling, walking and recently took up yoga to help me unwind.