Our leadership team 

Rodney Cook was appointed Chief Executive of Just Retirement (Holdings) Limited in July 2010. Previously, he was Managing Director, Life and Pensions of Liverpool Victoria (LV=). Rodney, a qualified actuary and an FCA and PRA Approved Person, has 35 years’ experience in financial services, having led businesses in both the United Kingdom and Australasia. He began his career with AMP, which led to his appointment as Managing Director of Pearl in 1999. This was followed by time at Zurich Financial Services as Managing Director of Sterling Assurance, Eagle Star Life and as Zurich Financial Services Customer Solutions Director, before joining Prudential as Prulab Director. Rodney is a Director of Just Retirement Group plc, Just Retirement Group Holdings Limited, Just Retirement (Holdings) Limited, Just Retirement Limited, Just Retirement Solutions Limited, Just Retirement Management Services Limited, Chairman of TOMAS Acquisitions Limited and a member of the Market Disclosure Committee.

Simon Thomas was appointed Group Finance Director of Just Retirement (Holdings) Limited in July 2006. Previously, he was Finance and Customer Services Director at Canada Life Limited, the UK subsidiary of Great West Life. Prior to this Simon was Head of Finance at HECM Limited (formerly Equitable Life) and spent ten years at Nationwide Building Society, latterly as Group Financial Controller. Simon has over thirteen years’ experience in the UK life assurance industry, is a chartered accountant and an FCA and PRA Approved Person. Simon is a Director of Just Retirement Group plc, Just Retirement Group Holdings Limited, Just Retirement (Holdings) Limited, Just Retirement Limited, Just Retirement Solutions Limited, Just Retirement Management Services Limited and TOMAS Acquisitions Limited and a member of the Market Disclosure Committee.

Shayne Deighton was appointed Group Chief Actuary of Just Retirement (Holdings) Limited in October 2008 and also acted as Chief Risk Officer until October 2012. He has previously been Group Financial Management Director at Aviva plc and UK Life Finance Director for Zurich Financial Services. He has also been a Partner at Ernst & Young and Principal at Tillinghast, the consulting actuaries. Shayne has over 32 years’ experience in the insurance industry and is a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries and an FCA and PRA Approved Person. Shayne is a Director of Just Retirement Group plc, Just Retirement Group Holdings Limited, Just Retirement (Holdings) Limited, Just Retirement Limited and Just Retirement Solutions Limited.

Steve Kyle, along with five other directors, founded Just Retirement in 2004 and was appointed as Group Regulatory & Audit Director in January 2010, where he leads Just Retirement’s regulatory, policy and assurance strategy. Steve has over 30 years’ life and pensions experience in the United Kingdom and Europe. Prior to joining Just Retirement, Steve held senior roles at Commercial Union, Aviva and Britannic Retirement Solutions. He is a director of the Equity Release Council and a member of various ABI Groups. Steve is also Secretary General of the European Pensions & Property Asset Release Group, an organisation established to seek to foster dialogue between industry, EU institutions and governments on innovative pensions and property asset release solutions. He is an Executive Director of Just Retirement Limited and Just Retirement Solutions Limited.

Chris Berryman, along with five other Directors, founded Just Retirement in 2004. He is the Group Chief Operating Officer and is responsible for the Strategy, New Product Development, Change Management, IT and Customer Service divisions of the business. Chris has over 20 years’ experience in the financial services industry, 15 of which have been in the retirement sector across a variety of roles including product development, service, IT, change management and actuarial modelling. He previously worked at NPI, GE and Britannic Group. He is an Executive Director of Just Retirement Limited and TOMAS Acquisitions Limited.

David Cooper has spent nearly 30 years working in financial services. He has operated in a number of sectors including retail banking, general insurance, personal credit, actuarial consulting and in the past decade the retirement industry. He has worked for a variety of large organisations including GE Capital, Centrica plc and Bradford & Bingley as well as much smaller growth businesses such as the founder of enhanced annuities, Stalwart Assurance, and since 2006 Just Retirement. He is an Executive Director of Just Retirement Limited, Just Retirement Solutions Limited and also a Non-Executive Director of Origo Services Limited, the software standards and services supplier.

Alex Duncan joined Just Retirement in September 2012. He is a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries and has 24 years’ experience in the financial services industry covering many disciplines, including reinsurance, consulting, banking and industry. Prior to joining Just Retirement, Alex was a director and an owner of Moreda Consulting and subsequently spent eight years at Old Mutual where he held a number of positions including Head of UK Acquisitions, Head of Corporate Finance and Development and, for the last four years, Director of Finance—Capital, in which role he was responsible for the capital management and treasury of the company.

Anne Ridge joined Just Retirement in March 2010 as an interim Head of HR and was appointed Group HR Director in September 2010. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and has over 25 years’ experience in Human Resources. Prior to joining Just Retirement she worked in a number of industries gaining experience in retail (at Marks & Spencer), the oil and gas sector (BP) and in financial services with the Britannic Group.

Dr. Tim Crayford joined Just Retirement in March 2011 as Medical Director, where he is responsible for the development of the company underwriting system, PrognoSys^TM. Prior to joining Just Retirement, Tim was Chief Medical Advisor to the Government at the Department of Transport, Director of Public Health and Medical Director at Croydon PCT, Deputy Director of Public Health at Croydon Health Authority, Consultant at Bromley Health Authority, Chair of Clinical Audit at King’s College Hospital, and Lecturer in Public Health Medicine at King’s College. Tim received a MSc. in Public Health from the University of London and a MB.BS from the Medical College of St. Bartholomew’s Hospital. He is listed on the General Medical Council’s Specialist Register in Public Health.

Hugh was previously at Royal London and his roles included Managing Director of Scottish Provident, Managing Director of Caledonian Life and CEO of the Intermediary Division (encompassing Scottish Life, Scottish Provident, Bright Grey and Caledonian Life). He transferred with the Scottish Provident business to Royal London from Resolution, having joined them from Prudential as Head of UK New Business.

At Prudential he was responsible for annuity distribution deals and bulk annuity transactions and prior to that spent time as At-Retirement Director and Savings & Investment Director. Has spent much of his career responsible for product development and product management.

He has been a qualified actuary for more than 20 years, having trained with Scottish Amicable.

For the last 3 years he has been a non-executive Board member of the UK's last remaining trustee savings bank, the Airdrie Savings Bank, and for the last two as Senior Independent non-executive director.

In August 2010 Paul was appointed as a Director in Swiss Re Globals Division, based in Hong Kong. In this role Paul was responsible for the growth of Swiss Re's regional business with key global clients across Asia.

From 2008 to 2010 Paul was the Principal Officer of Swiss Re Singapore branch and also Head of Life & Health for South East Asia. Prior to moving to Singapore, Paul's previous roles included Swiss Re's Chief Underwriter Life & Health for Asia, and Head of Client Management for Swiss Re Life & Health Australia.

Paul has over 20 years' of insurance industry experience including senior roles in marketing, business development and underwriting in the UK, Australian, New Zealand and Asian markets. Paul is an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute.