Neil Hugh

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT NEIL HUGH

I’ve spent nearly twenty years in UK life, pensions and savings, working across commercial strategy, proposition development, customer experience, and business transformation. Usually several of those at once.My career has been built on making things work in practice, not just on paper. I’ve held a number of senior roles at Standard Life over the past decade, each quite different, and each requiring me to build something, fix something, or deliver something that mattered commercially. I re-established the Workplace Proposition function from the ground up as the group looked to re-enter the market as a serious player. I led the Pensions and Savings workstream on a group-wide transformation programme. I ran proposition and commercial management across multiple channels responsible for delivering strategic priorities alongside a multi million change portfolio. I’ve had significant involvement across M&A - from acting as the business and commercial lead on major acquisitions to taking strategic stakes in Fintech partners. Probably my proudest accomplishment though was creating the strategic plan that took the company back into the workplace market and seeing its delivery through over a number of years.Most recently, as Customer Experience Director, I’ve been responsible for shaping and delivering the customer experience strategy across Standard Life and the wider Phoenix Group.I’m a qualified management accountant, so commercial and financial discipline is where I started and it runs through everything I do. I also hold a Diploma in Executive Coaching and have completed the Oxford View of Strategy at Saïd Business School. Both reflect something I believe strongly: that how you lead people matters as much as what you deliver.