Pension administration company EQ Retirement Solutions (EQRS) has hired Will Pritchett as chief executive officer to replace Duncan Watson, who will join the EQRS Board.
Mr Pritchett will take up his role on 1 September while Mr Watson, who led the firm for eight years, will remain until the end of the year as support.
Mr Pritchett joins EQRS from Accenture, where he served as managing director and global head of life, pensions and retirement. He was also insurance lead for UK, Ireland and Africa, a role in which he worked closely with EQRS.
He has also held senior leadership roles at Royal London, KPMG UK and Royal & Sun Alliance, leading digital, operational and customer-focused transformation initiatives in life, pensions, investments, asset management and insurance.
His appointment follows private equity group Siris' recently-announced decision to exercise an option to continue ownership of EQRS, EQ Customer Resolutions (EQCR) and Lenvi from Equiniti. The transaction is expected to complete in January 2027, alongside Equiniti's previously announced sale to crypto exchange provider Bullish, subject to customary approvals.
Following the transaction close, Siris, which has owned the businesses since 2021, plans to establish EQRS and EQCR as a dedicated platform, bringing the two businesses closer. Mr Pritchett will lead the combined group, and EQCR will continue to be led by Sue Bartlett, who will report to Mr Pritchett and join the group board.
Together, EQRS and EQCR will offer UK pension schemes more capabilities. As a dedicated platform, the group said it will further accelerate investment in technology, including AI-enabled administration capabilities, onboarding capacity and enhanced member experience.
Mr Pritchett said: “As the entire industry is being reshaped by technology and rising member expectations, I am honoured to lead EQRS at such a pivotal moment.”
EQ Retirement Solutions provides member and policyholder administration and technology services, supporting more than 10m members and £10bn in annual payments for many of the UK’s largest public and private sector pension schemes.