Scottish Widows Workplace Savings Podcast

Explore the Scottish Widows Workplace Savings podcast series, covering pensions, retirement, investments and financial wellbeing, alongside key trends shaping the industry – from AI to innovation and leadership. Each episode brings expert insight to help you stay informed on the latest industry developments. Browse below or listen on Spotify, Apple and other podcast platforms.

Check out our latest podcasts

2026 Scottish Widows Retirement Report  Part 1

May 2026

In this episode, Pete Glancy examines the UK’s retirement readiness, drawing on new findings including the updated National Retirement Forecast to highlight key risks and what could make the biggest difference.

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Investment Expert and Accidental Trustee

April 2026

Investment Lead for the Scottish Widows Master Trust, Gerald Wellesley joins Robert Cochran and Sharon Belligham in this episode. He shares views on VFM reform risks, private markets and liquidity management.

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More podcasts to explore

Podcast archive

  • The Chair Story

    December 2025

    Trustee and Chair of the Scottish Widows Master Trust, Jonathan Reynolds, joins Robert Cochran and Sharon Bellingham, exploring targeted support, annuities and the future of member outcomes.

    21 Years of the Scottish Widows Women and Retirement Report

    November 2025 

    Marking 21 years of the Women in Retirement Report, this episode explores women’s financial futures beyond the numbers, through real stories, resilience and change.

    TikTok - A Pensions Deep Dive

    September 2025 

    With over 30 million UK users and the rise of #FinTok, James Bowyer and Scott Stevenson explore TikTok’s success and its growing role in UK pensions planning.

    James Biggs - Mr Positive

    September 2025 

    James Biggs reflects on 35 years helping people with their finances. He's a brilliant storyteller; he loves people and he's a non-stop innovator. Hear about how he launched EBC TV, being played on Radio 1, and what makes a great employer/adviser provider relationship.

    Mithesh Varsani: An Investment Innovator

    July 2025

    Mithesh Varsani, Head of Investment Solutions at Scottish Widows shares his journey into private markets and how Scottish Widows is reshaping its default fund, with insights on new LTAF solutions.

    Scottish Widows' Retirement Report - Love has its dividends?

    June 2025

    In this episode, Pete Glancy joins Robert Cochran to explore the Scottish Widows Retirement Report, including the finding that 39% of the UK may not meet a basic retirement standard of living.

    *2025 Scottish Widows' Retirement Report

    Kevin Doran - A CIO With A Plan

    May 2025

    In this episode, Kevin shares his journey from maths teacher to CIO and how he’s reshaping investment strategy at Scottish Widows, with insights on customer behaviour and his four "superpowers."

    Digital Inclusion: How Savvy Are You?

    May 2025

    In this episode, Kevin shares his journey from maths teacher to CIO and how he’s reshaping investment strategy at Scottish Widows, with insights on customer behaviour and his four “superpowers.”

    Read more about the report

    Pensions Dashboard(s) Live

    April 2025

    In this episode, recorded live in front of employers, Robert Cochran is joined by Chris Curry and Richard Smith to explore the latest on pensions dashboards, including progress, learnings and audience questions.

    EBC to Retiree

    March 2025

    In our latest podcast, Damian Stancombe shares insights with Robert Cochran on the UK Workplace Savings Market, lessons from his extensive career in Employee Benefits, and his journey into early retirement with "60 Paydays to Retirement".

    Empowering Financial Futures: International Women’s Day

    March 2025

    In this International Women’s Day episode, Jill Henderson, Jackie Leiper and her daughter Rebecca explore closing the pension gap through their own journey and the importance of open financial conversations.

    An Employer's story

    February 2025

    In our latest podcast, we switch it up to hear from the employer perspective. Paul Bird joins Robert Cochran, sharing his insights from 40 years delivering benefits in the workplace pensions market. 

    It's CEO time

    January 2025

    In this episode, Robert Cochran is joined by Scottish Widows CEO Chira Barua to kick off the 2025 series, reflecting on his first 18 months and sharing his priorities for the year ahead, from adequacy and digitisation to financial engagement.

    Master Trust Unpacked

    January 2025

    IIn this episode, Robert Cochran is joined by Sharon Bellingham to close out 2024, sharing insights from Mansion House and secondary markets to DE&I and what matters most to members.

  • Pension Attention Season 2024

    December 2024

    Over 60,000 employees have taken part in the Scottish Widows Retirewell Pension Education sessions this year with a big boost for Pay Your Pension Some Attention. 

    In this episode, Robert Cochran is joined by Stuart Hopley to discuss exactly what pension scheme members are asking about their pensions.

    Women and Retirement Report 2024

    November 2024

    The 2024 Women and Retirement report highlights the progress made over the past 20 years in narrowing the gender pension gap. This podcast reviews the key milestones reached in the past two decades. 

    Financial Wellness - a Talk Money Week special

    November 2024

    In this episode, they discuss financial wellness, financial resilience, and some of the ways that young people, vulnerable customers, and policyholders alike can manage their finances.

    Pensions dashboard

    November 2024

    In this special, Robert Cochran is joined by ‘Mr Pension Dashboard’ Richard Smith who has travelled the length of Europe by train analysing all that European pension dashboards have to offer.  He's also joined by 20-something Oliver Webster for the younger perspective as they discuss what the latest announcements from the government mean for pension dashboard – and just how big a revolution for pension engagement the dashboards promise to be. 

    Doing good things at scale

    September 2024

    Join us to listen to our latest – and hugely entertaining - podcast with Graeme Bold talking to Robert Cochran about all thing’s pensions, getting behind Pension Engagement Season, tackling pension adequacy - and so much more.  

    Graeme explains how heading up a business which he has helped to grow to over £100bn in assets means we can do much more for our employers, advisers, and members so that they get engaged with their pension and build their finances for their future. 

    Bringing our Responsible Investments and Stewardship Report to life

    September 2024

    Managing £181 billion for 8.3 million customers is a huge responsibility & a chance for real impact. 

    Retirement Report at 20

    September 2024

    In our latest episode Robert is joined by Pete Glancy to review the 20th Scottish Widows landmark Retirement Report. 

    Can you gamify pensions? 

    August 2024 

    Of course you can, just like learning, health, fitness and other areas of your life gamification techniques are being applied to encourage better outcomes.

    Listen to this fascinating podcast, as Robert Cochran is joined by David Conner and Amy Rodger, real life digital experts who have played a part in designing gamification into the Scottish Widows Pension experience.  

    Decumulation - understanding the needs of the nation 

    July 2024 

    Robert Cochran is joined by Pete Glancy one of the authors of the recent Scottish Widows report into Decumulation where they review the fascinating findings, introduce the retirement decumulation cube and look at the guidance and advice people tell us they want at retirement. 

    They look at the 3 key drivers of retirement products - Control, Consistency and Legacy and plot everything from Drawdown to annuities and CDC in the Retirement Matrix 

    Bringing Digital Banking to Pensions

    July 2024 

    For this episode, Robert Cochran is joined by our own Scottish Widows digital expert Phil Allen, and digital native Connor Strachan as they focus on what pension apps can learn from digital banking, whilst remaining simple, quick and efficient for customers.  

    Creating an Award Winning Customer Vulnerability Strategy

    June 2024 

    Improving support and outcomes for vulnerable customers has become a real focus for providers over the last few years. In this podcast we from those leading the Workplace Pension Servicing Teams at Scottish Widows about how vulnerable customers are identified and which are the key vulnerabilities we are seeing. 

    Practical use of AI in Pensions

    April 2024 

    In this episode Robert Cochran is joined by our own Scottish Widows experts to discuss the practical uses of AI in the pension space, and how we can develop from where we are just now to improve customer experiences. 

    Mindful Pensions Podcast

    March 2024 

    In this episode Robert Cochran is joined by diversity champion David Butcher who shares how embracing mindfulness and is own experiences inspired him to launch Mindful Pensions.

    The Inside Story on Scams and Scammers Podcast

    March 2024 

    Mind-blowing discussion with one of Lloyds experts on Scams. Chris Thomason talks to our host Robert Cochran about scams we see across the bank, and how scammers are targeting pension funds. 

    Delving into Data Podcast

    February 2024 

    Expert panel hosted by Robert Cochran delving into ethics, security and opportunities data offers. 

    Improving Retirement Outcomes Employer Panel Podcast

    February 2024 

    Stuart Hopley hosted a live podcast, joined by some of our employer clients and industry experts to discuss how we can improve retirement outcomes beyond auto-enrolment 2.0.