The PMI’s new lay trustee accreditation was launched in June 2021 to enable lay trustees to demonstrate a high degree of competence in driving best practice decision-making in navigating the complex challenges of modern scheme governance. This optional qualification sets a high bar, putting accredited lay trustees on a par with their accredited professional counterparts.

To become accredited Janice completed both parts of the PMI’s Certificate of Pension Trusteeship, originally designed for professional trustees. To maintain her accredited status, Janice will be required to complete 15 hours of relevant continuing professional development (CPD) and complete any new or updated modules in TPR’s Trustee Toolkit.

In addition to her role as Co-Chair of the AMNT, Janice Turner is a journalist, diversity officer and member nominated trustee. Janice edits the quarterly magazine of the media and entertainment union BECTU and is additionally its diversity officer, developing race equality initiatives. She has been founding Co-Chair of the AMNT since its formation in 2010 as an organisation run by and for member nominated trustees and is the driving force behind the Red Line Voting campaign which was launched in 2015. She has overseen AMNT's growth to more than 850 individual trustee members, representing pension schemes with assets under management of over £1 trillion.

The lay trustee accreditation builds on the PMI’s 45 years of experience promoting education and learning standards for pension trustees. The initial cost of accreditation is £300 per applicant. The annual cost of renewal is £150 for PMI members and £300 for others. These costs are net of VAT.

Gareth Tancred, CEO of the Pensions Management Institute, comments: “As a Co-Chair of the AMNT, we're thrilled that Janice has completed her accreditation as lay trustee and I would like to congratulate her on behalf of the PMI Board and Advisory Council. Our accreditation programme has been built to professional trusteeship standards. This enables lay trustees like Janice to demonstrate they can excel at decision making in modern scheme governance. We’re committed to maintaining the strength of this accreditation by continuing to meet the ongoing professional development needs of trustees.”

Janice Turner, Co-Chair of the Association of Member Nominated Trustees, comments: “I am delighted to be one of the first member-nominated trustees to have achieved accreditation by the PMI. MNTs have a vital and distinct role in the corporate governance process. Achieving this qualification, which involves sitting the same examinations as those taken by the accredited professional trustees, gives lay trustees and boards the confidence they are on a par with them in addition to being able to bring our valuable additional perspective to the trustee board.

"I would strongly encourage AMNT members to investigate this new opportunity which their schemes and/or scheme sponsors should be very happy to pay for, as the deeper the knowledge and understanding of the board of trustees the better the scheme governance will be. The PMI's excellent reading list for both parts of the exam provides information, advice and guidance which will help all trustees to carry out their role more confidently and effectively.”