Instinctif Partners appointed by Cardano and NOW: Pensions to corporate pensions brief

The Cardano Group (Cardano) has appointed Instinctif Partners to deliver a corporate reputation and industry communications programme to raise its profile in the UK pensions and long-term savings sector.

The multi-brand brief encompasses Cardano, the investment management risk and advisory business which has a strong focus on sustainability, and NOW: Pensions, one of the UK’s leading auto-enrolment master trusts which launched in 2012 and now serves tens of thousands of employers and over 2m pension savers.

Founded in 2000, Cardano has built a reputation as a leader in the provision of specialised services to the long-term savings sector in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

Cardano acquired NOW: Pensions in 2019 and sustainable investment specialist, ACTIAM, in 2022, and has over £50bn of assets under management and more than £370bn aggregated assets for advised schemes.

The Instinctif corporate communications brief is to convey the differentiated Cardano Group story and build the profile of both its major UK businesses to support their growth. The account is led by a team of Instinctif’s financial and professional services specialists: Laura O’Connell, Chair of UK Corporate & Campaigns; Andy Lane and Nick Corrin, Directors; and Matthew Whitbread, Associate Director. They will report into Emily Cullen, Group Head of Communications for Cardano, and Samantha Gould, Head of PR and Campaigns for NOW: Pensions.

Laura O’Connell, Chair of UK Corporate & Campaigns, commented: “Cardano Group has a unique, differentiated offer and focus and we’re very excited to have been appointed to support the Cardano and NOW: Pensions brands.

“Instinctif has a long track record of working across the pension sector, but the current communications challenges have never been more exciting as we all look for certainty in our financial futures and auto-enrolment, which has extended pension saving since 2012, passes its first 10-year milestone. We are looking forward to helping both brands position themselves strongly in this environment.”

Emily Cullen, Group Head of Communications for Cardano, commented: “We are delighted to have appointed Instinctif as our new PR agency, and especially as we join forces with NOW: Pensions. At Cardano, we take a distinctive approach to advisory and investment management, and so we look forward to working with Instinctif to bring our extraordinary teams and big-picture thinking mindset to life through our communications approach.”

Samantha Gould, Head of PR and Campaigns for NOW: Pensions, commented:

“We have a clear mission – to help everyone save for a more financially secure future. We’re dedicated to achieving the best financial outcomes for our own members, while fighting for a fair pension system to enable all pension savers to enjoy the retirement they deserve.

“Over the past ten years, NOW: Pensions has developed, researched and lobbied initiatives that will help create a fairer UK pensions system.

“We have a very experienced and passionate internal Public Relations and Public Affairs team and we excited to work with our new agency Instinctif Partners who match our passion and drive in the UK pensions space.”