UK - Chris Kenny, head of pensions at the Association of British Insurers (ABI), will be leaving the organisation as of tomorrow.

The move follows his work for the ABI on the government's White Paper which introduces personal pension accounts.

"When your work on a big project is done then this is a time as good as any to quit," Kenny told IPE. He said he had told the ABI in October that he would step down and that now was the right time to announce it. Kenny, 43, said he would be taking some time out.

Stephen Sklaroff, currently deputy director general at ABI, will take on Kenny's responsibilities in the pension sector.

"My resignation has nothing to do with the content of the White Paper," Kenny explained. "In fact the ABI is quite pleased with some of it. Especially as the government has realised that it has to complement the pensions market rather than to compete with it.

"But, among other things, the ABI will continue to push on the contribution limit which is too high and might undermine the current market. Our work on pensions will not stop."

In its proposals for the White Paper on pensions the ABI had suggested that the private sector should run the national pension savings scheme and that the companies rather than the employees should choose the pension fund.

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