JLT set for move to Edinburgh Gyle headquarters

ONE of Britain’s biggest pensions and benefits firms is bringing all its Scottish operations under one roof following two deals that have seen it outgrow its current premises.

JLT Employee Benefits will relocate to Lochside Avenue in Edinburgh’s Gyle business district at the end of October.

Late last year the Jardine Lloyd Thompson group bought Alexander Forbes Consultants & Actuaries (AFCA) in a £17 million deal. The AFCA business generated £27.8m of revenue in the 12 months to 31 March, 2012. It has been absorbed into JLT Employee Benefits, boosting its presence in the health and wellness, risk, wealth management, annuity and investment areas.

JLT also signed a partnership with Aegon, resulting in the transfer of more than 100 staff from Aegon Trustee Solutions, which ran Aegon’s final salary pension scheme.

JLT Employee Benefits had a turnover of £146m last year and now employs 2,000 staff across the UK, of which 200 are in Edinburgh.

Malcolm Paul, chairman, said: “This is an exciting step forward, cementing our place as one of the largest employee benefit providers in Scotland.

“From our new Scottish headquarters we will be better able to deliver the full range of services to pension scheme trustees, employers and scheme members.”

Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group is one of the world’s largest providers of insurance and employee benefits. It is quoted on the London Stock Exchange and has 7,600 employees in 35 countries.