Phoenix Group, the UK’s largest long-term savings and retirement business, announces the appointment of Wendy Cunningham to the newly created role of HR Chief Operating Officer.
The new role has been created to support Phoenix’s ambition to be the employer of choice in its industry, with a workforce that has a diversity of outlook and the expertise to meet the needs of its customers. This is fundamental to the Group’s growth strategy and focus on building a sustainable business.
Wendy joins the HR leadership team and will play a key role in providing strategic planning for the function, financial management, and HR Operations. Wendy’s extensive knowledge and expertise will help further enhance the HR capabilities to provide support to the business and deliver the Group’s people strategy.
Wendy joins Phoenix from Experian, where she was the Global People Technology, Analytics & Talent Acquisition Director. She brings a wealth of experience having held a number of Global roles across a range of HR disciplines. Wendy previously worked at Barclays where she started as part of the graduate programme and progressed to take on significant roles including HR Director for Barclaycard International and Group Reward Director.
As a business Phoenix continues to encourage flexible and agile working and Wendy will working a flexible pattern of three days per week.
Wendy will report in to Group HR Director, Sara Thompson who comments:
“Wendy brings a wealth of experience to our business from multiple HR disciplines, including talent management, talent acquisition and employee engagement. We’re delighted that she has joined Phoenix Group as we continue on our journey to be the employer of choice in our industry. We want to be a true leader in our industry, and establishing a best in class HR capability to support the growth of our organisation and ensure our culture evolves in line with our values is core to that.”
Commenting on joining Phoenix Group, Wendy Cunningham said:
“I am delighted to have joined the HR team in Phoenix at such an exciting time. I am looking forward to working with my new colleagues to support the strategic growth of the business and make Phoenix the best place colleagues have ever worked, through delivery of the ambitious people strategy.”
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Notes to editors
Media enquiries:
Rachel Esland
PR and Public Affairs Manager Phoenix Group
07892 705093
rachel_esland@standardlife.com
About Phoenix Group
Phoenix Group is the UK’s largest long-term savings and retirement business with 13.9 million policies and £323 billion of assets under administration across both our Heritage and Open businesses. Our broad range of products means we can support people across all stages of the life savings cycle.
Our Heritage business, where we are the market-leader, is focused on the safe and efficient management of insurance policies. The Heritage segment comprises products that are no longer actively marketed to customers, and where we have stepped in as the custodian of these policies. We have built this business through the consolidation of over 100 legacy insurance brands.
Our Open business comprises products that are actively marketed to new and existing customers and has five separate business units. Our Workplace pensions and Customer Savings & Investments (“CS&I”) units operate under the Standard Life brand and manufacture long-term savings and retirement products to support people saving for their future.
The Retirement Solutions unit within Open includes both vesting annuities and our Bulk Purchase Annuity (“BPA”) business, where we acquire annuities and deliver the financial stability required to secure pensions currently provided by corporates.
The Open business comprises our market leading brand – “SunLife” – which sells a range of financial products specifically for the over 50s market and our European business unit which spans Ireland, Germany and the International Bond segment in the UK and operates under the Standard Life brand.