Carol McNamara – Deputy chairman

Posted: September 16th, 2015

FORMER manager in the Reach pensions department CAROL MCNAMARA joined the AMP in May 2024, taking up the new post of deputy chairman

CAROL MCNAMARA began her working life at the Daily Mirror in 1981, at Holborn Circus in London, as a messenger in the Post Room under Tom Banham and Ray Eldridge. She then moved to the cashiers’ department when John Hemple was in charge, and a couple of years later transferred over to the pensions department – where she stayed for 40 years.

Carol says the pensions office was “a bit of a nomad” in the Company, and during her time there was constantly on the move, whether from floor to floor at Canary Wharf, or from Athene House to Canary Wharf on to Buckingham Street (near Trafalgar Square), back to Canary Wharf, and finally to Lower Thames Street overlooking the Thames.

She said: “I loved my time in the pensions office. I started as a typist for Frank Gothard, and eventually I was looking after the administration of the schemes, as well as later becoming Secretary to the MGN Pension Scheme.”

In December 2016, Carol became a company-appointed trustee of the Reach Pension Plan (the Plan). It is a *defined contribution (DC) pension plan – the only one in operation at Reach – with a membership of about 10,500. Carol remains a trustee of the Plan to this day. (*A DC scheme is a type of workplace pension pot built up for your retirement based on how much is paid in from your own contributions, those your employer makes, and tax relief from the government.)

Carol added: “I worked with a fantastic team, and although we had our lows – November, 1991 springs to mind – we had some great times, too, and I was sad to leave them in January [2024]. Working at the Mirror was a real family affair. Dad, Fred Lofthouse, worked for the Company for 43 years, and my brother, sister and two of my children all worked for the Company at some point.

“I am looking forward to working with the AMP committee, and together I hope we will see the MGN Scheme reach full funding and eventually buy-out in the not too distant future.”