New blood is essential in the pensions industry, not only to boost staffing levels but to provide new energy and ideas. This award will recognise a relative newcomer to the industry who has made their mark through their ideas, approach and hard work.

Who should enter?

Entrants/nominees should be in the process of or have recently completed an accreditation, an apprenticeship or qualification with a pensions or pensions-related organisation or one of their partners. Entries will not be accepted from individuals that have left the sector. It is unlikely that anyone joining the sector in the last three months will have made sufficient impact.

The PMI Pinnacle Awards 2024 recognise the contribution by newcomers in the last two years (since 1 January 2022).

What the judges are looking for

• How the individual has made a quantifiable contribution to the organisation and/or its customers and other stakeholders, that goes beyond the requirements of their course. Please also highlight the person’s passion for and commitment to a career in the pensions sector.
• A unique set of skills and how they have been applied to a particular problem or issue.
• Any new ideas brought about as a result of the individual’s work.
• The ways in which the individual has made their mark at the organisation, including any benefits they brought.
• Ways in which the individual has inspired others in the organisation
  

This category recognises outstanding teams within the pensions sector, a strategic partner or a supplier to it, that have together achieved remarkable accomplishments for the benefit of the organisation/ stakeholders/scheme members.

The winning team will have created a powerful and impactful dynamic that is delivering tangible, positive results for the organisation. The winning entry will showcase the team’s achievements and demonstrate its success as a result of a proactive and structured approach to teamworking.

It will demonstrate all the hallmarks of a high-performance team and be an inspiration in and beyond the profession.

Who should enter?
Teams come in all shapes and sizes. It could be a team of a few individuals within a whole department, the department as a whole, a management team, a board, a trustee board, etc. Entrant teams must be clearly defined and comprise two or more people and engaged in regular activities. This award will recognise teams that have demonstrated excellent collaboration in the creative and effective ways they discharge their responsibilities.

Entries apply to the team as a whole and it does not matter if an individual has moved on from the team. Entries from individuals no longer working in the sector, or those who have joined the industry within the last three months, may not have had sufficient opportunity to make the impactful contributions we seek to recognise.

The PMI Pinnacle Awards 2023 recognise the contribution by teams in the last two years (since 1 January 2022).

What the judges are looking for

• Evidence of an outstanding performance in the face of a variety of atypical challenges over and above your normal daily work.
• Evidence of the impact that teamwork had on performance including the organisation of the team, clear definition of roles, allocation of tasks, generation and sharing of ideas.
• Evidence of motivation, a culture of respect, trust and support.
• Evidence of good decision-making and conflict-resolution.
• Evidence of open communications.
• Evidence of the use of team problem-solving techniques and measurement methods.
• Evidence of how rewards, feedback and celebrating success has contributed to team performance.
  

Help us discover our true frontline heroes. Many of us experience the contribution our frontline colleagues make to the success of our organisations; yet all too often recognition of their impact is limited to their immediate peers. This award aims to recognise someone who is making an exceptional difference to their organisations and pension scheme members or stakeholders. This award aims to celebrate and showcase their contribution. Our winner will encapsulate the spirit and professionalism of pensions at its best, demonstrating the hallmarks of service excellence from individuals that provide an inspiration in and beyond the profession and who highlight the opportunities open to all in pensions and its great potential as a career of choice.

The PMI Pinnacle Awards 2024 recognise the contribution by frontline heroes in the last two years (since 1 January 2022).

Who should be nominated?

Entries should demonstrate exceptional behaviours that has demonstrated a tangible, relevant impact and contribution in a wider team context. Examples may include individuals at a non-management level working in customer service or pensions administration.

What the judges are looking for

• Evidence of an individual who has made a tangible difference to their organisation and its customers/stakeholders.
• Humanity and authenticity.
• The spirit and professionalism at its best.
• An inspiration within and beyond the sector.
• An individual who is an excellent role model in making pensions a career of choice.
  

The Leader of the Year is presented to an outstanding leader who has made an exceptional difference. This person is seen as a best-of-class leader among their peers.

Who should enter?

This award will recognise a leader who has made a real difference in a strategic sense to both the operation in their workplace and the organisation as a whole in terms of impact and effectiveness. This leader will be someone who has not only steered the organisation through the difficulties of the pandemic, but also gained the respect of customers and cared for the needs of the team during their most difficult times.

The PMI Pinnacle Awards 2024 recognise the contribution by leaders in the last two years (since 1 January 2022).

What the judges are looking for

• Clear differentiators from other entrants to the award, evidence of innovation and endorsement by both team members and the employer.
• The entry should offer a strong proposition in response to the challenge ‘why this person, this year?’
• The submission can be self-written or nomination based.
  

The Lifetime Achievement Award honours the exceptional and enduring contributions of an individual throughout their career, celebrating achievements that have significantly impacted the sector and, potentially, beyond. This prestigious award is conferred only when a candidate of truly remarkable merit is identified, recognising an individual whose contributions have left an indelible mark on the industry.

Nominations for this award are open to all, reflecting the award's stature as the pinnacle of recognition. A panel composed of current and past honorary officers from the last five years will judge nominations, with their decision being ratified by the PMI Board of Directors.

Who should be nominated?

Unlike other PMI Pinnacle Awards, which focus on achievements within the last two years, the Lifetime Achievement Award is unique. It celebrates the cumulative impact of an individual’s career, whether they are currently working in, or have retired from, the sector, academia, research, politics, regulation, or the media. This award recognises a consistent record of personal achievement and a significant contribution to the advancement of knowledge and outcomes for scheme members. Membership in the Institute is not a prerequisite for nominees.

Criteria

Nominees can hail from any walk of life, including the profession, business, academia, public sector, government, or media, and are not required to be members of the Institute. They must have made an “outstanding contribution” characterised by distinction—celebrating both “ordinary people doing extraordinary things” and those whose achievements may not be widely recognised or directly related to the field of pensions.

An “outstanding contribution” may manifest as:

• A singular, significant achievement.
• Multiple achievements within a specific endeavour.
• Contributions across various fields.

Entry Notes:

Individuals serving on the PMI Advisory Council or Board of Directors are ineligible until five years post their tenure. Self-nominations are not accepted in this category, if you are entering on behalf of a nominee please obtain the nominee’s approval.

Organisations that are successfully delivering development and talent retention programmes and enabling people to grow and flourish in their organisations should be celebrated and their example shared across the sector. This award is open to boundary-pushing teams, organisations and partnerships who can demonstrate best in class approaches to developing people and retaining talent that has made a significant contribution to their organisation and beyond.

Entries must show sustainable change in the approach to people development and illustrate how an initiative or approach was different from ‘business as usual’ approaches.

Who should enter?

We invite submissions from suppliers to the pension’s profession and client organisations alike. This category is open to teams and entire organisations demonstrating a dedication to innovative learning practices and tangible outcomes. Organisations with dedicated apprenticeship programs are encouraged to apply, showcasing how these programs contribute to their innovative learning and talent retention strategies. Submissions are welcome from operations both within the UK and abroad.

The PMI Pinnacle Awards 2024 recognise work and projects that were completed or operational over the last two years (since 1 January 2022).

What the judges are looking for

• New or ground-breaking or substantially novel ways of engaging learners, stimulating the creation and sharing of knowledge, integrating learning and work and accelerating organisational learning and generating business impact.
• How the organisation has created and environment that fosters learning and develops capability in the workplace.
• Evidence of how sustainable value has been created, for both the actual business impact and stakeholder benefit.
  

This award celebrates the innovative use of technology in pursuit of business goals as well as technological developments which enhance our industry. It seeks examples of innovative application of systems or technology in pensions, including artificial intelligence.

Its scope is wide and can relate to advanced service delivery, use of data, management of resources or any other area where technology has been employed in support of better service delivery or to enhance the pensions experience.

Who should enter?

Entries are welcomed from both suppliers to the pensions profession and client organisations. All products and services will be considered equally from the simplest and least expensive or have the most complicated rationalisation. Eligible technologies can be an object, tool, system, software or process. It must be clearly defined and demonstrably improve outcomes in pension service delivery or in the daily working experience of everyday users. Entries will not be accepted from initiatives which are planned, in development or in progress.

The PMI Pinnacle Awards 2024 recognise work and projects that were completed or operational over the last two years (since 1 January 2022).

What the judges are looking for

• Tangible positive impact to the pensions function.
• Genuinely innovative scalable technology led solutions.
• Strategic alignment with your business and/or client(s).
• Value led initiatives with a genuine return on investment (true innovation is not always about those with the biggest budget).
  

The decisions trustees make will profoundly impact the lives of members in retirement and members yet to retire. This award is made to celebrate a trustee or a trustee board who has gone beyond the day-to-day requirements of trusteeship, navigating the many challenges and providing innovative solutions to those to whom it really matters – scheme members.

Who should enter?

Entries are welcomed from all types of pensions trustee – lay, professional, sole, and corporate. It could be a chair of trustees, a professional trustee firm or partnership, or a trustee board. Evidence the outcomes. Entries will not be accepted from initiatives which are planned, in development or in progress.

The PMI Pinnacle Awards 2024 recognise work and projects that were completed or operational over the last two years (since 1 January 2022).

What the judges are looking for

• New or ground-breaking or substantially novel ways of engaging members.
• A thorough understanding and application of topical issues such as climate, DE&I, and the implications on a scheme and its members.
• Evidence of how sustainable value has been created, the both the actual impact and member benefit.
  

New products and services are continually developed to support our industry and wider society. This award celebrates those innovative products and services which have become game changers and highlight our progress in this arena. This award recognises the stand-out product, or service, which, through its development and utilisation, has had the most positive impact on pensions provision.

Who should enter?

Any organisation or individual within pensions. You could be an in-house manager, trustee, a service provider or a supplier of goods or services. All products and services will be considered equally from the simplest and least expensive to the most technically advanced. Eligible product or services can be an object, tool, system or process – but it must be clearly defined and able to be marketed and sold as a stand-alone solution within an overall business offering. Entries will not be accepted from initiatives which are planned, in development or in progress.

The PMI Pinnacle Awards 2024 recognise work and projects that were completed or operational over the last two years (since 1 January 2022).

What the judges are looking for

• How was a need and/or market for the product/service identified?
• Analysis of costing (buy/sell/both, as applicable) and development of the business case.
• A clear explanation of the product/service development process, including due diligence, design, testing and launch.
• Description of the impacts of the product/service for stakeholders (e.g., customers, end users, public, employees etc as applicable).
  

The power we use, the paper we print and the buildings we occupy are all significant contributors to carbon emissions. Our behaviour in and around our operations, from energy efficiency and waste management, to recycling and reduction in the use of non-sustainable plastics can reduce emissions. This award showcases the positive action taking place in the industry.

Who should enter?

Entries are open to individuals, organisations, in-house teams, trustees and suppliers to the industry. Entries will not be accepted from initiatives which are at inception or early planning stages or without demonstrable results.

The PMI Pinnacle Awards 2024 recognise work and projects that were completed or operational over the last two years (since 1 January 2022).

What the judges are looking for

• Evidence of the implementation of environmentally friendly practices and specifically the role of our profession in their success (including economic and/or wider societal implications).
• Evidence that the initiative raises the bar on current best practice and goes beyond “the day job”.
• Initiatives which demonstrate leadership and help to unlock sustainability for the organisation and its customers.
• The use of technology and/or capitalising on changes to the way people work or travel, or occupy premises.
• Specific new climate-related initiatives and the impact these have had.
  

Everybody is a customer of the pensions industry, either internal or external. Organisations who proactively design, manage, monitor and adapt their customers’ experiences often see both financial and brand affinity rewards in increased customer retention and recommendations. This award recognises excellence in those serving customers and clients.

Whilst customer service might focus on the direct physical and virtual interaction with customers, customer experience considers the entire lifecycle of a customer and all factors that could impact their awareness, understanding, attraction, purchase, service and advocacy of a brand, product, or service.

This award will look beyond any single department, recognising coordinated efforts from across the breadth of an organisation.

Who should enter?

In-house and outsourced organisations within the pensions sector who can clearly demonstrate an exceptional experience and best practice delivered to their customers. Please do not submit an entry in this category for projects that are planned or are in development, in the process of being implemented, launched or are aspirational.

The PMI Pinnacle Awards 2024 recognise work and projects that were completed or operational over the last two years (since 1 January 2022).

What the judges are looking for

The judges want to see submissions that are evidence based and demonstrate results.

• Provide clear evidence that demonstrates the rationale for change; the challenge that existed and the clarity of the business case to undertake the project, including the insight and understanding of the requirement of how it needed to change.
• Explain the approach taken around the creation and implementation of the initiative and provide evidence that supports this approach. Explain any challenges that were experienced and overcome in implementing the project and what lessons were learned.
• Evidence how your initiative supported your corporate/organisational strategy. How did the cost of implementation of your initiative deliver a positive return to the financial performance of your organisation? What was the overall return in investment from the initiative?
• Demonstrate by evidencing the difference made to the overall customer experience with performance measures, customer experience metrics and evidence of positive change and the overall impact on the organisation.
• Provide evidence of the strengths of your submission that could be applied universally within the pensions sector. Explain how your initiative demonstrates excellence and would benefit pensions.
  

This award is bestowed upon either a person who has recently, or is currently, undertaking a project, initiative or similar or a project itself, that has a significant impact on the pensions profession at large, or within the area of pensions, long-term savings or financial services.

Such impact could have been made through any field of endeavour, including day-to-day business, research, education, thought-leadership, media, politics, regulation, consumer affairs, employee initiatives etc. It is likely that the work of this individual will have had an impact on the pensions profession, pension scheme members or public understanding of the importance of pensions in one aspect or another.

The PMI Pinnacle Awards 2024 recognise work and projects that were operational over the last two years (since 1 January 2022).

Who should enter?

The award may be awarded to an individual or team project. This award is for any individual or project whose achievements are outstanding and whose work has extended above and beyond the call of duty and created a lasting impact on the profession.

The entry needs to be able to demonstrate impact on the pensions profession, so entries will not be accepted from initiatives which are planned or in early development. However, medium and long-term ongoing programmes, that can demonstrate impacts, will be accepted.

What the judges are looking for

• A significant or sector specific breakthrough story for the profile of and impact on the profession.
• Evidence of progression of the pensions or long-term savings industry that might endure and/or evidence of real external impact (beyond the organisation itself).
• How the thinking of the profession, or part of the profession has changed due to the work or contribution of the nominee.
  

Pensions at its heart is a people business. The impact that our activities have on individual families and communities can be profound. This award celebrates the very best and most impactful initiatives which have made a significant contribution to wider society. The category recognises organisations, individuals or teams creating positive and tangible social value, outside of the immediate pensions industry, through excellent pensions practices or as part of a social responsibility initiative.

The PMI Pinnacle Awards 2024 recognise work and projects that were completed or operational over the last two years (since 1 January 2022).

Who should enter?

Entries can come from individuals, teams, large or small organisations, or by a collaboration between a number of parties. Eligible entries are those which can demonstrate that a sustained impact on society and social value has been created, evolved and delivered, ideally, during the last two years. Entries will not be accepted from initiatives which are planned, in development or in progress as it needs to be able to demonstrate impact through successful outcomes.

What the judges are looking for

• The Judges expect to see a methodical approach to the generation of social value through their respective initiatives.
• Real external impact (beyond the organisation and pensions industry) and/or of positive influence on a community helped by the intervention.
• Evidence of re-purposing or re-positioning a function to a wider purpose, where relevant.
• Operating in a structured way or within an insightful framework that considers intended impacts (e.g. social value framework).