Hello! This is Pensions Monitor
And we’ve just started writing our story.
About us
The End-of-Service Benefits (EOSB) system in the GCC region is set to change. As we know, the region is gearing towards investment-based defined contribution savings schemes. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a new regulation to this effect was introduced in 2023 on an optional basis. However, it is expected to become mandatory in due course.
So imagine, a nation-wide change that will impact about 800,000 companies and 7.5 million employees in the UAE!
For majority of companies, this will be a new experience dealing with fund managers, aligning management, defining administrative processes, educating employees and managing the expectations of the various stakeholders. A massive responsibility for Human Resources professionals (HRs) indeed.
Pensions Monitor was created to support you in this EOSB transition journey.
From the Editor-in-Chief
“I’ve lived in the UAE for more than 12 years now. And I’ve have seen this country make incredible strides all through. The EOSB Savings scheme is set to be another transformation on a scale that’s hard to imagine. This change will not only benefit all of us residents, but will also boost the region’s capital markets with hundreds of billions of dollars accumulating in investment funds over time.
And how incredibly fortunate are we, to be here at this time to witness history being made. For a country that has given me everything and more, I hope to be a small part of its amazing story with Pensions Monitor.”
Nisha Braganza
Editor-in-Chief, Pensions Monitor
Registered Financial Influencer with the UAE Securities and Commodities Authority (Registration No. 12)
Board of Directors
Nisha Leslie Braganza
A seasoned strategy consultant with over 20 years of consulting experience in the MENA region.
In 2013, Nisha founded Insurance Monitor to produce premium content for the insurance industry. She has authored several whitepapers discussing strategic and operational issues facing the insurance industry in the UAE that prompted regulatory change.
In 2024, Nisha launched Pensions Monitor, the only platform discussing developments in End-of-Service Benefits (EOSB) in the UAE as the country prepares to transition to a workplace savings scheme.
Nisha is qualified accountant (ACCA) and holds a post graduate degree in Financial Services from University of East London. She also holds a Certificate in Insurance from The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII).
Nisha Braganza is the Editor-in-Chief of Pensions Monitor and a Financial Influencer registered with the UAE Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA).
Ruan van Rensburg
Ruan van Rensburg, FIA, is the founder of Lux Actuaries and an experienced actuary with over three decades of consulting experience across the Employee Benefits and General Insurance sectors. His career includes serving as the appointed actuary for numerous insurance companies throughout the GCC region, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and the UAE.
Currently, Ruan is at the forefront of the GCC's evolving Employee Benefit and Savings landscape. He leads Lux in delivering comprehensive, end-to-end solutions for the savings industry, corporations, and individuals. Lux's expertise spans the full spectrum of financial, design, and operational aspects of employee benefit schemes.
Lux Actuaries Financial Consulting LLC (LAFC) is licensed by the UAE's Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) as a Category 5 Financial Consultancy, authorized to provide Financial Analysis, Recommendations, and Planning to both corporate and individual clients within the UAE.
Nikolaus Heinrich Frei
Nikolaus has over 25 years of experience in the insurance industry, 15 years of which as CEO of several insurance companies in the Middle East and Russia including t'azur, Allianz and Rosgosstrakh.
His previous experience also includes executive roles at Willis Towers Watson and Acturis Ltd (a SaaS InsurTech), prior to which, he was a consultant with McKinsey & Co.
Nick currently serves as a non-executive member of the Board of Directors of Eurolns Insurance Group (Bulgaria) and is a director resp. adviser to several InsurTech companies including Benefitster and Mainslab. Furthermore, Nikolaus also advises several Insurers and Private Equity companies on a variety of strategy and technology topics.
He holds an M. Eng. from Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne EPFL (Switzerland) and an MBA from INSEAD (Fontainebleau, France).