Darren Philp

Darren is co-founder of Untamed Consulting and co-host of the V-FM pensions podcast. He is a self-confessed pensions and financial services geek, with a passion for creating a better, simpler, more engaging industry that delivers better outcomes for its customers.

Prior to setting up Untamed, Darren was founder of Shula PR and Policy and, before that, Director of Policy at Smart Pension, where he was active in the industry lobbying for change in pensions and financial services for the benefit of members and customers. Darren joined Smart in September 2018, having previously undertaken policy-related roles at the The People's Pension, the National Association of Pension Funds (now Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association) and HM Treasury – where he headed up the pensions team between 2007 and 2010 and was closely involved in the design and implementation of the UK’s flagship auto-enrolment programme.

Darren is active within industry bodies through contributing to research, thought leadership and policy development work, and is a regular commentator in the media. He also sits on the PMI policy and external affairs committee, and the PASA DC working group. 

Darren has a BSc(Econ) in Economics from Leicester University and an MSc in Economics and Econometrics from Southampton University. Outside of work, Darren’s interests include football (both ‘soccer’ and American Football), cricket and listening to live music. Darren is also attempting (with the emphasis on attempting….) to learn the piano.