Smoking Gun wins global comms for pensions challenger Aptia

Manchester’s Smoking Gun has won the comms task for new pensions and benefits player Aptia Group. Aptia is launching this year in a deal funded by Bain Capital.

The new company takes on Mercer’s UK pensions and US health and benefits businesses, making it a substantial player in the market managing benefits for seven million people in 1100 companies.

Aptia is led by Aptia is led by CEO Bala Viswanathan and chairman Dominic Burke, both from Lloyds brokers.

Viswanathan says: “It is time for a new way of thinking. While we’re inheriting the largest pension portfolio in the UK and the employee and benefits business in the US, we’re also committed to bringing a fresh perspective and demonstrating our genuine enthusiasm for administration. From Day One, our sole focus is on providing class-leading support.

“Smoking Gun embraces brands with a challenger mentality, and with the team’s intelligent and disruptive approach to B2B communications, they share our vision to turn away from the formulaic to revolutionise the experience for our clients.”

Smoking Gun commercial director Caroline Aspinall says: “As our B2B division continues to go from strength to strength, the appointment by Aptia marks a key milestone as we guide the global comms strategy to successfully launch this monumental start-up.

“Working with brands that are shaking up their categories is our passion, and Aptia’s technical expertise combined with its continual investment in strengthening client relationships is a very compelling proposition for 2024.”