The newly-appointed chairman of the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) has pledged to "open up" the organisation in a bid to improve policy development.
Richard Butcher - the managing director of PTL who was formally appointed as PLSA chair at the trade body's annual general meeting this morning - said he wanted to "broaden and deepen" the organisation and involve many more people in policy-making.
He said: "The only way we are going to get expert policy arguments is if we pool our collective expertise - we need you. We are going to open up the PLSA."
Butcher said a more open PLSA would not only engage more with members but reach out more to organisations such as fintechs, consumer groups, the media and regulators.
He said such engagement would deepen the PLSA's insight and help it improve its policy-making process - especially at a time the PLSA was increasingly talking about "lifetime savings" issues outside of pensions, including issues such as releasing equity from property and national retirement income targets.
Butcher outlined three key aims as part of his plan for an "open PLSA".
First, he said the PLSA policy team have each committed to speak to five members with whom they would not otherwise engage when they were developing a policy.
Second, Butcher said the trade body would launch a series policy roadshows - getting the PLSA's policy team to travel around the country to discuss policy with members.
Finally, he said the PLSA would launch "PensionsLab" - a series of interactive online webinars, which would allow the organisation to road test policy and garner views and opinions from a much wider range of people.
Butcher said: "Collectively we represent the interests of 20 million savers. It is a huge responsibility.
"We have a vital role to play in getting good policy and regulation. But we need your help to do it - so help us to help the interests of those 20 million savers."
Butcher said people who want to get involved with any of these initiatives should email: [email protected].
