Clare James
Client Director, ZEDRA Governance
Clare has a first class degree in Engineering from Emmanuel College, Cambridge.
Clare joined as a Client Director in January 2019 after a career spanning 24 years acting as scheme actuary, investment consultant and corporate pensions adviser to defined benefit, defined contribution and hybrid schemes ranging in size from £4 million to £5 billion. Clare spent the majority of her career as a Principal at Punter Southall (now XPS) and previously worked at two other major pensions consultancies.
During her career, Clare has advised clients in a wide range of sectors, including not-for-profit organisations, and she has been involved in all major aspects of pensions and investment consultancy, including scheme funding negotiations, investment strategy reviews, benefit design/modification, mergers and acquisitions, liability reduction exercises and buy-outs. Clare always aims to help her clients identify, manage and mitigate their risk exposure, whilst working within agreed cost budgets.
Through her previous roles, as both a scheme actuary and an investment consultant, Clare brings experience and understanding of the importance of pension schemes having joined-up investment and funding strategies. Clare’s clients valued her proactive, collaborative and pragmatic approach, as well as her ability to present and explain complex issues clearly.
In addition to her actuarial background, Clare brings strong corporate governance skills, having 10 years’ experience serving on various boards, trusts and governing bodies through her role as an elected member of the City of London Corporation.