Helen Dean awarded CBE in New Year's Honours for services to pension saving

Former pensions minister Eagle named on list too

Jonathan Stapleton
clock • 1 min read

Nest Pensions chief executive Helen Dean has been awarded a CBE for services to pension savings in the New Year Honours 2021.

Dean was one of the architects of auto-enrolment - working at the Department of Work and Pensions to help develop a solution to the UK's chronic under-saving in pensions before moving to the Personal Accounts Delivery Authority (PADA) to help build the scheme which became Nest.

She led the product, marketing and operations arms of Nest before becoming the organisation's chief executive in September 2016.

Angela Eagle - the MP for Wallasey who served as minister for pensions and ageing society from June 2009 to May 2010 - was also named in the New Year Honours list, being awarded a damehood (DBE) for parliamentary and political service.

Christopher Woolard was also given a CBE - he acted as the temporary chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority in between Andrew Bailey and Nikhil Rathi's reigns from March to October in 2020.

To view the New Years Honours list in full, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/the-new-year-honours-2021

More on Pensions

Savers can draw down target retirement income for just 11 years

Savers can draw down target retirement income for just 11 years

Report exposes retirement income gap

Jenna Brown
clock 08 May 2025 • 3 min read
State pension nears tax threshold – how can the government fix it?

State pension nears tax threshold – how can the government fix it?

'While policy change would be welcome, individual action is just as crucial'

Laura Suter
clock 06 May 2025 • 4 min read
A 1000-day wait: Pension transfer delays demand urgent reform, advisers say

A 1000-day wait: Pension transfer delays demand urgent reform, advisers say

Transfer delays highlight need for ten-day Pension Switch Guarantee

Sahar Nazir
clock 29 April 2025 • 2 min read

In-depth

Sudden departures and a government review – what next for the FOS?

Sudden departures and a government review – what next for the FOS?

A look at the Ombudsman’s roadmap to modernisation

Isabel Baxter
clock 07 April 2025 • 6 min read
Advisers avoid 'knee-jerk' dismissal of US equities amid Trump's tariff shake-up

Advisers avoid 'knee-jerk' dismissal of US equities amid Trump's tariff shake-up

‘Although many market values have fallen, the fundamentals remain largely intact’

Isabel Baxter
clock 03 April 2025 • 5 min read
'A divisive and difficult topic': Advice firms on DE&I progress

'A divisive and difficult topic': Advice firms on DE&I progress

Industry shares thoughts on regulator’s adjustments

Isabel Baxter
clock 31 March 2025 • 6 min read