Amanda Cooke

Amanda joined the Scottish Pensions Team in 2022, bringing a wealth of commercial and technical expertise, with over 20 years of experience as a pensions lawyer. Amanda has worked in pensions in a range of contexts and for a wide range of clients. She has worked inhouse for a large financial organisation so brings knowledge of the issues faced by providers and their clients and knowledge of contract-based schemes and insurance products as well as trust-based schemes. She is also experienced in working for employers, providers, and trustees in private practice on a range of scheme matters.  

Amanda has expertise with workplace pensions, DC Governance, decumulation products, Investments, ESG and has written several publications on auto-enrolment, DC governance and behavioural finance and delivered training on these at industry events. She also regularly advises on projects for scheme restructuring, endgame planning, setting up new schemes and managing large pension projects as part of commercial restructures. She is experienced in day-to-day trustee and employer advice for large, complex schemes dealing with all aspects of BAU and responding to regulatory changes. Amanda’s unique background means she is well placed to deal with the complex range of issues arising in this rapidly changing area, with strong technical abilities and commercial solutions-based approach, and is regularly asked to speak at industry events. 

Amanda is an associate member of the Association of Pension Lawyers and retains a connection with the University of Edinburgh, where she completed her PHD on pensions and auto enrolment. Amanda also serves as chair of the Financial Regulation Committee of the Society of Pension Professionals and is a committee member on the Scottish SPP/ PMI group.  She also enjoys taking part in charity activities, working with the CMS Women’s network and chairs the CMS Scotland ESG Focus group.