Connelly has over 30 years of experience in the pensions and financial services industry. He is currently the Chief Strategy Officer at Heywood, where he leads on some of the industry’s leading propositions and strategic initiatives. Across his career, he has held senior roles at NatWest, Fidelity, Aon Hewitt and Equiniti, gaining extensive experience across in-house pensions administration, third-party administration, financial services companies, local authorities, and central government schemes. In recognition of his contributions to the industry, Chris was honoured with the Pensions Age award for ‘Pensions Personality of the Year’ in 2022. His career has evolved from administration into implementations, support, analysis, and solution design and development, giving him a rare balance of creative, technical, and analytical skills. Chris is a well-respected voice in the industry, contributing regularly to working groups and thought leadership on pensions policy and operational excellence.