Key Facts
Founded in 2000
Today 280+ people
Working across the UK & Ireland
Working with 700+ pension schemes
Since our foundation in 2000 by our owner directors, we have grown to become a 200 plus team of colleagues based in seven locations around the UK.
We currently work with over 700 pension schemes, ranging in size from £5 million to £60 billion.
Until October 2022, 3173 was privately owned by its founders Brian Spence, Neil Copeland and David Davison. At that point a partnership with growth investor Synova was created, in order to consolidate the group’s existing market-leading positions in pension scheme trustee services, unique pensions software, consultancy, administration, governance, actuarial and investment services and facilitate the next phase of the group’s growth in an increasingly competitive pensions and financial technology industry.
- Glasgow
- 07802 403013
- 02036912947
Alan Collins
Alan worked for a number of large multi-national consultancies before joining 3173 in 2010. Alongside his role as a director of 3173, he is also managing director of Spence & Partners.
Having achieved a 1st class honours degree in Mathematics and Physics from Glasgow University, Alan has now worked in the pensions industry for over 15 years. Alan became a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries in 2006 and has held a Scheme Actuary Practicing Certificate since 2008.
Alan provides actuarial, funding and investment advice to the trustees and sponsors of numerous ongoing defined benefit schemes, of various asset sizes with assets of up to around £200m. He focuses on asset allocation advice and on modelling future outcomes based on various investment scenarios and future cashflows in and out of the schemes. Alan has a particular interest in diversified growth strategies and liability driven investments and has recently completed a number of insurance company buyout projects.
Among other areas, Alan is interested in the benefits that the application of technology can bring to the pensions market, releasing actuarial, and consultancy expertise to work collaboratively with sponsors to focus on planning for the real challenges that schemes face in future.
In his role prior to joining 3173 in 2010, Alan provided advice in relation to the schemes of a number of large PLCs and multi-national organisations.
- Belfast
- 0289 041 2883
Geoffrey Farmer
Geoffrey is chief financial officer for 3173, and joined the business in 2022. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland, having qualified in 1997. He is experienced and commercially driven and has worked in Finance Director roles across many industry sectors during his career, including regulated financial services, software development and distribution.
Prior to joining the 3173 Group Geoffrey held the role of Finance Director within Hughes Insurance, one of Northern Ireland’s leading Insurance Broking businesses and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Liberty Mutual Insurance Group.
- Belfast
- 07422 074405
Bill Galvin
Bill joined 3173 Limited (“The Group”) as Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) on 1 March 2024.
His role as CEO supports the continuing strong growth of the leading UK pension governance, advisory, investment and technology Group which includes the Dalriada Trustees, Spence & Partners and Mantle businesses.
Bill previously served as CEO of USS (the UK’s largest pension scheme) for over a decade. During his time as CEO, Bill built a high-performing executive team, and steered the scheme through very challenging circumstances. Under his charge, USS created significant value for members: introducing an innovative hybrid pension offering, building a sector-leading in-house investment team, and creating a pension administration function that receives excellent ratings for service levels and decision support. Prior to joining the USS, Bill spent almost five years at the Pensions Regulator, latterly as CEO, where he was responsible for the efficient regulation and supervision of the UK pension market notably during the launch and introduction of autoenrollment in 2012.
Bill is experienced operating at board level, with over 13 years as a CEO leading, structuring and changing complex organisations. He brings a facilitative but highly effective leadership style. He is skilled in grappling with challenging trade-offs, making decisions and delivering outcomes in complex public and private sector environments.
Bill is also a Council Member for the Institute for Fiscal Studies and a Governor of the Pensions Policy Institute. He has previously served on the Boards of the Pensions Advisory Service, The Solicitors Regulation Authority, and the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority.
- Glasgow
- 07811 712300
Fiona McGowan
Fiona is General Counsel for 3173 Limited.
She is responsible for working as part of the senior executive team and with the Group Board on effective risk management, with oversight of risk controls and compliance. She also works with senior executives on calibrating 3173’s response to the complex and changing legal and regulatory landscape and supports the high standards of governance and decision-making across all group companies and operations.
Fiona brings more than 30 years of experience as a solicitor, most recently serving as Head of Legal for abrdn PLC. Fiona was Head of Legal for Standard Life Investments and supported its merger with Aberdeen Asset Management in 2017. Prior to this, Fiona worked as Head of Legal for Ignis Asset Management and began her legal career as a solicitor in private practice in Glasgow.
- Glasgow
- 0141 343 9191
Mike Selby
After graduating from Oxford University in 2002, Mike enjoyed a successful spell with a major benefits consultancy, playing key roles in actuarial, consulting and data management disciplines.