I joined Premier in November 2003 which was within a few months of the firm being established. My role within the firm is to advise companies and trustees regarding their pension arrangements. I also act as Pensions Manager for a well known organisation in the music industry. In addition, I have recently taken on the role of Head of Croydon Consulting which entails looking after a number of consultants and guiding and assisting them.
Having worked for a number of large consultancy firms for some years, I was keen to work with clients on a long term basis rather than being driven by short term financial objectives. The philosophy that Dai Smith (the founder) has for working with clients is something I agreed with hence I joined the firm. My initial aspirations were to be involved in building a firm with integrity and professionalism but also work in an environment where we have fun.
I think the growth of the firm says it all.
Whilst it may sound like a cliché - it is the people. Over the years we have tried to recruit people with a similar vision and outlook to providing a service to our clients. We continue to work hard but also play hard (at times!).
My hope is that the firm continues to grow and is renowned in the industry for providing clear and pragmatic advice and solutions to clients. Also that our relationships with our clients continue to grow and become long term.
I joined Premier in January 2008 in my first graduate role after completing a physical sciences degree. My work involves performing a wide variety of actuarial calculations, from those affecting individual pension scheme members' benefits to those influencing scheme-wide funding decisions. I am also involved in developing technical actuarial models, drafting reports and presentations, and checking other individuals' work. Outside the office I also spend a considerable amount of time studying for the actuarial exams, which I am about two thirds of the way through completing.
Having never previously worked in the pensions industry before joining Premier I had few expectations about what things would be like working here. I have, though, thoroughly enjoyed my time at Premier and the success of the business can be seen by the number of colleagues tripling in size during this period.
I particularly enjoy the diverse nature of the work that I am involved with along with the serious but fun working environment.
My hopes for the future are that the company will continue to flourish and that I will complete the actuarial qualification and finish studying within the next couple of years."
My current role is Team Leader for Premier Benefit Solutions and I joined on 5th January 2009.
I left college at 17 and worked for Equity & Law / AXA for 19 years in a variety of administration / sales support roles in 5 different locations (Swindon, Bristol, Holborn, London West End and Croydon).
The AXA Croydon office was closed and my role was moved to Basingstoke so I chose to take a redundancy package from AXA in 2008. Whilst on gardening leave a colleague advised me that a small local IFA was looking for someone to start up their back office. I sent in my CV and was invited to attend an interview at our old premises in Capital Business Centre. After my interview I knew I wanted the job. The people, company ethos and plans for the future were exactly what I was looking for. Luckily for me I was offered the role. When I joined everyone made me feel very welcome and after working for a big corporation it felt wonderful to be treated as an individual.
The company has lived up to everything it offered me at my initial interview, it encourages a good work / life balance and stays true to itself. I think we have grown quicker than expected but have continued to look for the right fit, also ensuring that we continue to provide a great level of service to our clients.
I love working here - the people, the atmosphere, location and our clients.
I wish to grow with the company and only want the best for us. We deserve to succeed.
