Denise Elvidge

Denise Elvidge – Team Leader (Pensions Operations)

What did you do before joining The Pensions Trust?
I left school at 16 and commenced work within the Financial Industry in Banking and Insurance. I then started working in Pensions as a Pensions Administrator at William Mercers for around six months (November 2000 to March 2001) before deciding to work abroad as a Holiday Representative in Greece and Spain for several years. During this period I also temped in England for three months a year and I spent some of this time at The Pensions Trust.

Why pensions?
I have always had an aptitude for numbers and wanted to work somewhere where I could use these skills but within a Customer Service Driven Industry. I also wanted to keep developing myself and specialise in one area.

What attracted you to join The Pensions Trust?
I worked with The Pensions Trust on the Final Salary Team on a three month temporary contract. During that time I really liked the working ethics of the Trust and I was treated as one of the Team, not a temp. I learnt a lot of new skills over this start period. When I decided to return to England after being a Holiday Representative I applied to The Pensions Trust as I felt that I could have a career with them - not just a job.

What has been your career path whilst at The Pensions Trust?
I joined The Pensions Trust in May 2003 as a Benefit Assistant within the Administration Team and soon after started working towards the Qualification in Pensions Administration (QPA). In addition to this formal qualification I received on the job training which allowed me to progress to the position of Benefit Administrator in February 2004. About 18 months later my manager actively encouraged me to apply for the role of Senior Benefit Administrator (now Team Leader), in which my application was successful and I took on this role in October 2004.

Throughout my role changes I continued working towards the QPA and successfully qualified in August 2005. In addition to the QPA I have also achieved the Retirement Provision Certificate and the Trustees Certificate. Recently I have undertaken further training to be a QPA verifier which not only allows me to support others through the process but also ensures that I keep my technical skills up-to-date. In addition to my Team Leader duties I am often involved in project work and as such have recently passed the PRINCE2 foundation qualification.

What do you like about working at The Pensions Trust?
I really like that staff are valued and that we are included in the decisions that are being made within the organisation. The work is varied and there are lots of projects which staff can be involved in. There are great training and development opportunities available and we are actively encouraged to further our career development. I also like the culture at the Trust and that everyone is welcoming and friendly and that the focus is on the customer rather than being purely profit driven.

To view our current career opportunities please click here.