Yvonne Braun, director of policy for long-term savings, health and protection at the Association of British Insurers (ABI), has been awarded an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in His Majesty the King’s Birthday Honours List.
The OBE recognises her services to the pensions industry and socio-economic diversity.
Braun leads the ABI’s strategy and policy across long-term savings, health and protection insurance and is executive sponsor for diversity, equity and inclusion.
She pioneered the ABI’s cross-sector Pensions Dashboard pilot, a digital prototype designed to reconnect people with almost £27bn in unclaimed pensions, which has now been legislated for, with the full service scheduled to reach savers in 2026.
During the pandemic, Braun led the sector’s charitable £100m Covid-19 Support Fund, to help people and communities hit hardest by the Covid-19 crisis.
She also spearheads the ABI’s high-impact diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives to ensure that the 320,000 people who work in insurance and long-term savings reflect and represent the communities they serve.
Braun said: “I am deeply honoured to receive an OBE for services to the pensions industry and socio-economic diversity.
“Our sector’s purpose to help people achieve a financially secure retirement has never been more important, and to achieve it, our sector must truly reflect the customers we serve.
“My heartfelt thanks go to all members of my teams – I have been incredibly fortunate to work with such talented and motivated colleagues.”
Hannah Gurga, director general at ABI said: “I am beyond delighted to see Yvonne’s commitment and dedication to pensions and DEI recognised with an OBE.
“This is a much-deserved honour and a testament to the impact Yvonne has had on the pensions industry.
“A true DEI champion, Yvonne has also been the driving force behind the ABI’s DEI blueprint and is integral to our efforts to make our sector the most diverse, equitable and inclusive in the UK economy.”