Our People
Stephanie Blacksmith
- Pensions Senior Manager
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What do you do?
Day to day, I look after a portfolio of pension schemes across a variety of trustees and administrators. I also line manage several appraisees making sure they are learning the skills they need to grow and develop, and they have enough resources to complete their work. No day is ever the same and that’s one of the great things I love about this job.
Why do you do it?
Since school I always wanted to work with numbers in a meaningful way, but we accountants are not just number crunchers, and one of the things I love is interacting with my clients and other stakeholders involved in the pension schemes. The people at Cooper Parry are wonderful and we definitely have an “in it together” attitude that guarantees we consistently deliver a great service to our clients.
What kind of projects have you been involved in?
Diverse is the first word that comes to mind. I’ve worked on many of our PPF schemes (where the employer has gone into administration) and it’s all about making sure the members of the pension schemes achieve the best pension possible. I’ve also worked on resolving issues with schemes that showed evidence of fraud that had not been picked up by the previous professional services firm. I truly felt I was adding value – and making it obvious to the client that moving to Cooper Parry was the right decision for them. The issues were sorted, accounts were brought up to date and due diligence was reestablished.
On a more fun note, I was once lucky enough to go on an international secondment for 3 months to a partner firm in Atlanta, Georgia!
What’s on top of your bucket list?
Where to start! I have always enjoyed pushing myself mentally and physically, so I’ve walked Hadrian’s Wall and climbed Mount Toubkal in recent years. I’m always perusing the Global Adventure Challenges list for my next challenge, maybe trekking across the Sahara Desert or climbing in the Alps!