Neil is a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries with over a decade of experience in the pensions industry. As Chief Operating Officer and a Director at Mantle Services Limited, he drives innovative technology solutions for pension scheme administration, actuarial services, and investment management.
Neil focuses on supporting the company’s strategic growth and managing its operations, with an emphasis on technology integration and risk management.
Neil is also active in industry leadership, serving on the Association of Consulting Actuaries Younger Members’ Group, and is committed to community engagement through his role on the Board of Governors for a local primary school.
Graeme is responsible for driving the Mantle software business to realise its full potential. This includes setting the overall direction, identifying new opportunities and product developments.
Graeme joined in November 2019 and has spent the last 10 years in Fintech. Most recently he was the founding director of HUB Pension Solutions a ground breaking DB member option business with a big focus on member engagement.
James is the Managing Director for Mantle. He is an entrepreneurial business leader with a track record of launching and developing technology businesses across sectors including Fintech, Payments, EdTech, Media and Sport and Cloud Services. With over 20 years of executive leadership experience, James has been a founder, investor, and CEO of numerous successful business ventures.
James has a degree in Computer Science and a Masters in Management and Finance from the University of Cambridge, and is a Trustee of Coram children’s charity.
Danielle joined Mantle in April 2024, bringing with her almost 20 years’ experience, most recently from Lending, Payments and AI. Having worked with businesses across a range of growth phases from Pre-Seed to Series G, Danielle specialises in providing the right blend of strategic Go-to-Market and Revenue leadership, with a pragmatic approach to getting things done that enables goals to be achieved.
Responsible for Mantle’s Commercial projects, Danielle’s focus is on expanding and future-proofing how customers can access and use the platform, and launching Mantle into new regions and markets, enabling us to achieve our exciting growth plans.
Outside work, Danielle is a foodie with an ever-expanding list of restaurants to visit and loves independent film – although both these hobbies fit around her main passion in life – her young daughter Nova with husband Martin.
After graduating from Oxford University in 2002, Mike enjoyed a successful spell with a major benefits consultancy, playing key roles in actuarial, consulting and data management disciplines.
With a strong background in data management, systems and software development, in 2010 Mike started to develop pensions modelling software, Mantle, on which he now concentrates full time, joining Mantle Services in May 2014.
Martin is responsible for leading a seamless transition process for onboarding new clients. Martin works alongside the Service Delivery, Engineering and Support teams with client satisfaction as a key focus. Martin has over 35 years’ experience in the Software Delivery Life Cycle, and believes in a people-centric focus. Martin started in Software Delivery as an Assembler Programmer and has developed and lead multi-disciplinary teams and projects across the globe including US, Romania, Brazil, Pakistan, India, Colombia and Africa.
Martin’s experience spans from the start-up of wholly owned subsidiaries of US companies in Northern Ireland and being involved in “bleeding edge” technology in varied fields from cryptocurrency to genomics.
Hal Crossland is Mantle’s Senior Project Manager. Hal is a versatile professional with a strong background in engineering and manufacturing. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree and has honed his skills through diverse experiences in high-profile industries.
His career highlights include working with a renowned automotive company, where he gained valuable insights into cutting-edge engineering practices. Hal later played a crucial role in transforming workshop production environments into efficient mass production systems for an internationally distributed high-profile manufacturer. Hal’s expertise extends to project management, where he has successfully led pensions projects, change management initiatives, and business transformation efforts, including complex system migrations. He is well-versed in Lean and Agile methodologies and holds a Scrum certification, enabling him to drive efficiency and innovation in various organisational settings.
Outside of his professional pursuits, Hal is an avid skier with a decade of experience as a ski instructor.
Jason holds a BSc in Business, Finance and Investment, and is a member of the Pension Management Institute.
Jason entered the pension industry in 2006 and has extensive expertise and experience in pension administration and pension systems.
Jason leads our Data Services Team and is actively involved in all aspects of data management and pension system configuration. Jason also provides consultancy services to Mantle clients with particular focus on administration services.
Rokayya joined Mantle in August 2024 as an Assistant Project Manager. Her responsibilities include supporting project planning and execution, coordinating tasks, managing risks, and fostering clear and effective communication among stakeholders.
Rokayya brings strong organisational and communication skills, adaptability, and a problem-solving mindset to her work. Her professional journey includes five years at Capita as a Pensions Technician, followed by roles in the Projects team at Spence and Partners and in Business Transformation as Project Coordinator.
Rokayya holds a BA (Hons) in Accountancy from Glasgow Caledonian University and is currently working towards PRINCE2 certification, further strengthening her expertise in project management methodologies.
Beyond her professional achievements, Rokayya is a passionate artist who enjoys painting in her free time. She also treasures moments spent with her family and friends.
Dennis is an integral part of Mantle, serving as a Senior Data and Systems Analyst with a wealth of experience in data management, actuarial processes and pension scheme administration. He is responsible for all aspects of data management, including scheme migrations, system configuration and testing, benefit analysis and data rectification.
Dennis holds a BSc in Physics with Astrophysics from Queen’s University Belfast and has obtained professional qualifications in Data Analytics and Project Management, alongside being a Certificate Member of the Pensions Management Institute.
Eoghan graduated from Queen’s University Belfast with a BSc in Mathematics and entered the pensions industry in 2015, building experience in various pension scheme administration roles, most recently in the processing of schemes through the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) assessment period.
Eoghan joined Mantle Services in 2022 as a Data and Systems Analyst in the Data Services Team, where he is involved in the installation and testing of benefit calculations for schemes on Mantle.
Adam is a Graduate Business Analyst and is part of the Data Services Team within the Mantle brand. Adam brings an actuarial background to the team, offering experience from spending placement within the Actuarial team.
He is also managing the MPP project, carrying out actions on the actuarial, admin and data services side. Adam is also currently sitting CPC exams.
Stephanie has over 10 years of experience working as both a Defined Benefit Pensions Administrator and a Senior Systems Administrator, where she was involved in the design, implementation and running of large system platforms for the pensions industry.
Stephanie is a Business Analyst and member of the Data Services team, assisting in coding new installations and providing support to Mantle users.
Daniel Keane recently joined Mantle Services as a Graduate Business Analyst.
Having pursued his academic journey from A-Levels at RBAI to an undergraduate degree in marketing at Ulster University, Daniel realised his passion for analytics during a module on marketing data analysis. This realisation led him to further his education with a postgraduate degree in Business Analytics from Queen’s University.
Daniel’s professional journey is complemented by his part-time job experiences, which have honed his analytical skills and prepared him for the challenges of his new role.
Aisling joined Mantle having recently graduated with a BSc Finance from Queen’s University Belfast.
Aisling works within the Data Services team, which is responsible for Mantle’s functionality and for managing the online support portal.
Stephen joined Mantle in March 2024 as a Data and Systems Analyst. He holds a Master’s in Mathematics, statistics, and Operational Research from Queen’s University.
Stephen’s analytical journey began when he worked for an FX company, where he honed his skills as a Data Analyst and Trading Assistant. Stephen then transitioned into professional services, spending six impactful years delivering complex solutions across diverse client portfolios. During this time Stephen worked in Quality and was a subject matter expert for a large scale remediation project.
Mariel joined Mantle in March 2024 as a Data and Systems Analyst. She holds a BSc degree in Physics with Astrophysics.
With a background as an Analyst, specialising in Enterprise Performance Management Service Design and Data Analysis, Mariel has honed her abilities to craft innovative data solutions tailored to complex problems. Her experience extends from the initial design phase to successful project management and implementation.
Outside of work, enjoys a range of hobbies and interests. One of her absolute favourite activities is taking her boxer puppy, Maia, to the beach. Marial also likes to unwind and clear her mind by meditating. For her, it’s like hitting the reset button, especially when life gets hectic. Mariel is a great enthusiast of the outdoors, and often go for walks in the mountains to enjoy nature and get some exercise. Music is a big passion of Mariel’s who plays the piano, harp, and fiddle, and attends trad sessions.
Matthew Stewart recently joined Mantle Services as a Graduate Business Analyst. Having graduated from Queens University Belfast with a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s degree in business analytics, he has experience in leveraging data to solve problems and driving smarter decision making. Whether developing predictive models, visualising complex data sets or uncovering actionable insights, Matthew thrives on transforming numbers into strategies that make a measurable impact.
Outside of work, Matthew values staying active and maintaining balance in his life. Football is a significant passion, of which he enjoys both playing and watching it. Additionally, he dedicates time to the gym where he embraces physical challenges to stay focused and energised.
Davyd joined Mantle in February 2024 as Data and Systems Analyst Apprentice via the 3173 Academy programme. His role requires him to continuously enhance and manage business systems, and undergo training in data management, covering installation and auditing procedures.
Davyd holds a BSC in Financial Technology. He is a seasoned athlete with an impressive sporting background, he’s represented his school in rugby, hockey, and football, ultimately focusing on rugby at Belfast Royal Academy’s 1XV team. His leadership skills shine through his experience as a school Prefect and achievement of the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award.
Davyd is well travelled having visited America, New Zealand, Singapore, and Europe, and when not travelling, you’ll find him on the rugby field for City of Armagh RFC, conquering wakeboarding waves, or working out in the gym.
Rory is currently studying for a degree in Financial Technology at Ulster University alongside his role as a Data Analyst apprentice.
His role is focussed on the smooth transition of pension scheme data to the Mantle platform. Rory also supports his team members on an array of projects to improve his industry and technical knowledge as he gains experience.
Ciaran joined Mantle as a Graduate Business Analyst in October 2018 after graduating from Ulster University, Magee, earlier that year. Previous to Mantle during his University placement year, Ciaran worked for the Utility Regulator on as a Data Analyst in the Electricity Market Monitoring Unit.
Since then, he has built up considerable experience and in 2021 was promoted to Data Analyst as well as qualifying in the PMI Certificate in Pensions Calculations in March 2023.
Ciaran is actively involved in all aspects of data
management, including installing new schemes onto Mantle, performing front-end coding on Mantle, and deriving relevant admin and actuarial data.
Matthew is a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries and leads our actuarial team. Matthew brings a wealth of expertise and experience to the team, with a background in both trustee advisory and corporate advisory contexts for pension schemes.
Matthew has played a key role in shaping the actuarial and investment functionality of Mantle. He has extensive experience supporting both consultancies and pension schemes as they transition to new actuarial platforms.
Ciaran is a qualified actuary and an experienced member of our actuarial team. He graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a BSc in Mathematics and Statistics and has since gained a wealth of experience in the defined benefit pension industry across both trustee advisory and corporate advisory areas.
He is one of our actuarial experts at Mantle and plays a leading role in both testing new features of the system and providing actuarial support to users as they
transition to using Mantle as their actuarial system.
Peter currently works within the actuarial team as an associate actuary with a focus on scheme termination work. His strengths lie in data analysis, process improvement and the development of valuation tools.
Peter joined Spence & Partners in 2011, shortly after completing his degree in Actuarial Science and Risk Management. He is an Associate of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.
Molly has a keen interest in actuarial software and machine learning applications in actuarial science. Having achieved a First Class Honours in Mathematics BSc from the University of Leeds, Molly joined Mantle as an Actuarial and Investment Trainee.
Currently part of the installations team, Molly carries out actuarial testing as well as supporting and training new clients on the actuarial aspects of Mantle’s functionality.
Daniel is a seasoned Pension Administration Consultant with nearly 15 years’ of industry expertise. His professional journey spans prestigious consultancies within the sector, establishing him as a highly respected professional in pension administration.
With a robust administrative background and extensive industry knowledge, Daniel brings strategic insights and practical experience to every pension administration project he undertakes.
Daniel channels his passion and teamwork skills through rugby, both playing and coaching at Basingstoke RFC.
With a professional certification in CIPP RPL level 3, Suzanne brings a wealth of expertise having previously transitioned between roles as a Retail Manager, Implementation Account Manager, and Payroll Operations expert.
Beyond the professional realm, Suzanne enjoys solving puzzles, exploring new walking trails, attending concerts, and reading.
Ronan Markey is a Project Manager for Mantle’s Installations and Software Onboarding, where he leads client implementation projects and serves as the primary liaison between client project managers and technical teams. His focus on operational excellence ensures successful project delivery while driving continuous improvement initiatives across the installations department.
With a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Ronan has built an impressive track record across high-profile industries. His career highlights include collaborating with a leading aerospace engineering firm, where he gained extensive experience in cutting-edge engineering practices. He also played an instrumental role in a £199M government-funded initiative to deploy hyper-fast broadband infrastructure to 81,000 premises throughout Northern Ireland.
Outside of work, Ronan is an active sports enthusiast who plays football and hurling. He’s a dedicated follower of football and rugby and maintains his loyal support of Leicester City through thick and thin.
With a decade of transformative experience in IT service delivery, Donna is Mantle’s Support Service Lead focusing on the improvement, automation and growth of Support Service. Bringing a wealth of expertise in Operational Excellence, she has a proven track record of implementing strategic improvements and driving customer satisfaction across complex service environments.
Armed with deep knowledge of ISO standards and a passion for seamless service delivery, Donna ensures excellent client support and provides positive customer engagement.
Outside of work, Donna likes to spend time with her husband and two daughters.
Rachael holds a BSc in Business Economics from Queens University and a MSc in Management and Corporate Governance from the University of Ulster.
Rachael has 10 years experience in the IT Industry working in Quality, Compliance and Customer Service roles, gaining a range of experience with ISO standards, Improvement & Quality methodologies, in both the corporate and public sector.
Rachael is responsible for all aspects of Service Delivery for Mantle, ensuring our Service Management Strategy maintains a specific focus on performance management, customer satisfaction and continuous improvement.
Chris is a Senior Client Manager with over 15 years experience working in Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution pensions. Chris has extensive experience working with pension schemes, their trustees and key stakeholders on all matters relating to management and governance.
Chris joined Mantle in 2022 having previously worked for a large Consultancy firm as a Consultant and Client Manager. Chris acts as a first point of contact, responsible for managing client relationships throughout installation and beyond and has an overview of all services provided by Mantle.
Chris is an Associate member of the Pensions Management Institute.
Sharon joined Mantle in November 2024 having previously worked as a professional trustee and client manager for a leading firm of professional trustees. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in stakeholder management, project management and governance. She will be responsible for managing client relationships throughout installation and beyond.
Sharon is an accredited professional trustee with over 15 years’ experience working in pensions and has a strong finance background, having over 25 years’ experience as an accountant, both in practice and in industry.
Outside of work, Sharon likes to keep active by heading out on the coast path for a walk, taking part in the occasional ultra marathon and cycling. She does find time to relax too and enjoys yoga, reading and slow walks with her elderly dog.
Joining Mantle at the start of November 2024, Alex brings over two decades of Financial Services expertise. Alex brings a wealth of knowledge and a dynamic approach to client management. Holding key certifications including CII CF1, FA1, FA2, and ITIL4, Alex has navigated the complex world of financial platforms and protection with precision and care.
When not helping clients achieve their financial goals, you’ll find Alex pacing marathon events, supporting runners in reaching their targets, or fostering dogs and caring for six furry companions at home.
Ritu brings over 20 years of experience in software development and delivery to Mantle, having built and successfully exited her own software services company in 2023. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated exceptional expertise in software development and in cultivating high-performance, motivated tech teams both in large corporations and dynamic startups.
At Mantle, Ritu leads a passionate technical team, providing hands-on leadership to support the company’s rapid growth while also ensuring the scalability needed for future potential. She was a finalist for ‘Developer of the Year’ at DDNA and was an active member of both Women in Business NI and Women Techmakers in Belfast. Recognised as one of ‘Ones to Watch’ in the Irish Times in 2019, Ritu is also a brand ambassador for BringITON in Northern Ireland.
Outside of her professional work, Ritu enjoys long walks and mountain treks with family and friends. She volunteers as a tech coach for secondary school students. She is also honoured to be part of Cricket Ireland’s ‘On the Front Foot: Female Leaders’ program, which aims to support female cricket players in their careers.
Harry has built up experience in IT and pension sectors, having held roles as a software developer and as an actuarial technician.
Harry is actively involved in software development and provides information security support to a number of companies. Harry has also begun studying towards professional actuarial qualifications.
Patrick is a Software Developer at Mantle.
Patrick’s journey into technology commenced with his first programming venture at age 10, initially cultivated as a personal hobby. Prior to his university studies in ecology, he embarked on a transformative path in the army, specialising in communications. This experience instilled a profound understanding of the critical role of efficient systems and streamlined processes.
Over the past 15 years, Patrick has honed his craft in IT, hardware and software, driven by a newfound career trajectory. Committed to developing clean, resilient and adaptable code, Patrick approaches each project with a meticulous eye for detail and a strategic focus on overarching objectives. Grounded in a holistic perspective, he strives to contribute purposeful innovation.
Laura McCartney recently graduated from Loughborough University with a PhD in Theoretical Computer Science and a BSc in Computer Science & Mathematics and is working towards qualifying with the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.
Laura is actively involved in software development and has a strong understanding of good coding practices, implementing these effectively in several different programming languages.
Laura has experience providing technical support in an IT department, with a particular focus on streamlining reporting systems and improving online efficiency.
Barry is a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries with over 20 years of actuarial experience in the life insurance sector, previously holding roles as a liability modelling specialist in major life actuarial consultancies and top UK life insurance companies.
Barry has also previously held the position of Chief Examiner for the UK Actuarial Profession.
Barry joined in 2021 and works as a systems and software developer with a particular focus on AI and machine learning solutions in the pensions landscape.
Kevin is a software developer at Mantle, working on providing new products to customers. He has a real drive for this and attended an intensive 16-week Software Development course to gain the skills required to begin a new career as a Software Developer.
With 25 years of professional expertise spanning telecommunications and cyber security, Mantle’s DevOps Engineer, Mick Brennan brings an extraordinary depth of SRE experience to our team, ensuring that Mantle Services are always available. Using modern cloud services and tools, Mick transforms complex challenges into seamless solutions.
When he’s not practising all things DevOps, you’ll find Mick cultivating his garden and crafting culinary masterpieces, especially his homemade pizzas.
With FIA CERA credentials and a passion for transformative problem-solving, Gavin brings nearly two decades of actuarial expertise that bridges cutting-edge technology with strategic insight. As Mantle’s new Product Owner, Gavin is responsible for defining and managing the product vision and strategy for Mantle’s actuarial software.
Gavin’s career has focused on seamlessly integrating people, processes, and technology to deliver operational excellence for teams around the world. Having significant expertise in leading transformative change initiatives, Gavin’s approach to actuarial challenges is both analytical and innovative.
Family time and fresh air are the two things Gavin loves most away from work, spending most weekends on long family walks with their dog, visiting the local skatepark or embarking on canoe trips. He also enjoys Tae Kwon-Do, where he develops his own skills as well as teaching and supporting others.
James is a software engineer with 20 years of experience across a broad range of sectors.
He holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from the University of Ulster and has a track
record of delivering complex solutions within highly regulated industries.
As a Mantle Backend engineer James is responsible for leveraging current technology solutions and best-practices to deliver a robust and reliable pension management portal for Mantle Services.
Dawn is a Fellow of the Pensions Management Institute bringing over 16 years’ of expertise in the pensions administration industry. Throughout her career, she has worked for several third-party administration firms in a variety of roles spanning cradle to grave administration, project focused – including transitions – through to management.
Dawn experienced the Mantle platform first hand during her tenure with Spence and Partners as a Senior Administrator and was impressed by the capabilities and potential of the platform in comparison to those used in other roles.
In 2023, Dawn joined Mantle as Senior Administration Consultant and has recently been appointed as Product Owner of Administration, highlighting her technical proficiency and her ability to address and fulfil the needs of our administration platform for both users and clients.
Dawn is looking forward to using her wealth of administration experience to enhance and develop our proposition for not only our clients but ultimately the end users to support, making administration a more attractive and rewarding career choice. The ability to improve efficiency and user experience will empower those individuals to focus on value-add activities and deliver exceptional service to their members.
Susan leads Mantle’s marketing as Marketing Manager. She is responsible for implementing and creating marketing strategies to drive brand awareness, engagement, and demand generation for Mantle’s pension software solutions.
Susan holds an MSc in Communication, Advertising and Public Relations and a BA (Hons) degree in English Literature and Media Studies.
With 16 years’ of marketing expertise across IT, software, transport, food diagnostics and the charity sector, Susan’s experience ranges across a variety of marketing disciplines. These include event management experience, the ability to craft innovative and compelling campaigns and engaging content, PR, digital marketing initiatives such as executing email campaigns, leading on social media engagement, SEO and website activity.
When she’s not strategising marketing, you’ll find her enjoying a spot of shopping, powering through bootcamp classes, or enjoying quality time with family and friends – likely with a chocolate treat in hand and a cocktail nearby!
To discuss how we can help with your company pensions and challenges, please contact us.
For general enquiries enquiries@mantleservices.com
Linen Loft
27-37 Adelaide Street
Belfast , BT2 8FE UK
+44 28 9041 2888
