XPS Group appoints 12 partners and promotes 171 colleagues

XPS Group appoints 12 partners and promotes 171 colleagues

23 Apr 2026

XPS Group, the UK consulting and administration business specialising in the pensions and insurance sectors, has appointed 12 new partners and promoted 171 colleagues across the business. The promotions, taking effect from 1 April 2026, have been made across all service lines.  

Ben Bramhall, Co-CEO at XPS Group said: “Congratulations to all our colleagues who have been promoted. These promotions recognise the depth of talent across XPS and reflect our continued investment in developing our people. They also highlight the breadth of opportunity at XPS as we continued to grow across the pensions and insurance markets.”

The new partners are Charlotte Jones, James Chandler, James Foster, Melissa Stanford, Nicola Young, Tom Froggett, Deborah Churchward, Ivet Frago-Plana, Matthew Dodds, Sophia Cosgrove, Carol Watkins, and Sarah Rixon.

• Charlotte Jones, Actuarial Operations: Charlotte is Head of Pensions Operations for Reading and London – our largest actuarial team. She is also a Scheme Actuary, advising trustees of DB pension schemes and has driven firmwide change as founding Chair of our Women’s Network.
• James Chandler, Actuarial Operations: James is Head of Pensions Operations for our teams in Leeds and Manchester. He advises both trustees and sponsors of DB and DC schemes on a wide range of pensions matters.
• James Foster, Pensions Actuarial: James is Head of XPS Xray, supporting clients with data-driven analysis and insight to inform pensions and insurance decision-making.
• Melissa Stanford, Risk Settlement: Mel leads the Risk Settlement post‑transaction team, ensuring high‑quality service and driving efficient processes benefiting both clients and insurers. She has championed diversity and inclusion initiatives via her role in the Multicultural Network.
• Nicola Young, Pensions Actuarial: Nicola is an experienced Scheme Actuary and corporate advisor, supporting clients through their long-term journey planning. She leads several significant projects including on GMP equalisation.
• Tom Froggett, DB Run-On: Tom is Head of DB Run-On at XPS, supporting trustees and employers to design and deliver effective DB Run-On strategies.   
• Deborah Churchward, Administration Payroll: Deborah is Head of Pensions Payroll based in our Newcastle office. Deborah leads the delivery and oversight of payroll services for over 400 pension schemes that XPS Group administers.
• Ivet Frago-Plana, Pension Fund Accounting: Ivet is Head of Pension Fund Accounting and is based in Reading. Ivet leads pension fund accounting services, overseeing financial reporting, compliance, and management of pension scheme accounts.
• Matthew Dodds, CRM: Matt is Client Project Delivery lead for XPS Administration. He provides essential support to Trustees for large administration projects and leads the XPS Pensions Dashboards Programme. Away from work, he co-founded NextGen Pensions, a volunteer-led organisation dedicated to nurturing diverse future leaders in the pensions sector.
• Sophia Cosgrove, Administration: Sophia is Head of Member Connect, overseeing our teams in the Middlesbrough and Newcastle offices to deliver an excellent first-time resolution service for all of our clients’ pension scheme members. She plays an active role in the XPS Women’s Network as a member of the steering committee and leads on many initiatives across the group.
• Carol Watkins, Legal: Carol is Head of Legal Operations. Carol is responsible for the day-to-day management of the in-house Legal team to ensure effective management of all legal matters and in particular all client and supplier contracts.
• Sarah Rixon, Company Secretarial: Sarah is the Group Company Secretary. Sarah leads the XPS Group’s company secretarial, ensuring strong corporate governance, supporting the plc board and ensuring compliance with the requirements of a listed company.