The farewell message page says it all. When Nortel Networks went into administration in 2009 no-one could have envisaged that fifteen years of hard work would be required to get us to final closure. And we succeeded, sadly not in achieving full benefits for our members, but in ensuring that they can enjoy far more than they would have done within the Pension Protection Fund. We have been assisted by numerous advisers along the tortuous way, and I would like to thank everyone involved.
The Trustee Board deserves a special thank you, it is without precedent for lay trustees – ex employees of Nortel – to remain throughout such a process, yet fifteen years on they are all still on board. All the Trustees deserve thanks for their efforts, and particularly Brian Izzard who in between, and often during, his numerous cruises has pushed tirelessly to ensure we achieved our goal.
This is the final message. Our job is done, and the assets have been distributed and in September 2024 we wound-up the Plan. I wish everyone a long and healthy retirement.
Clive Gilchrist