Who we are
About us
We’re a savings and investments company. We offer a range of long-term savings, pension and investment products, designed to help our customers save for their future. And we look after the savings and investments of almost 4 million people in the UK.
Standard Life has been in business for over 180 years. It was a mutual society, owned by its members, until 2006. When the company demutualised, it became Standard Life plc and listed on the London Stock Exchange. We have around 1.5 million shareholders around the world.
About the group
We’re an international business. Our group headquarters are in Edinburgh, Scotland and we have major operations in Europe, Canada and Asia. We have two joint venture businesses, HDFC Life in India and Heng An Standard Life in China. In the UK we have three specialist businesses, Vebnet, Focus Solutions and threesixty.
If you’re interested in our strategy and strategic priorities, or you want to find out more about the group, what we do and how we do it, go to our Standard Life plc website.
What matters to us
Our customers. They are the most important people we know. And we put them firmly at the centre of everything we do. We think this is vital for any long-term savings company. After all, our customers trust us to look after their money, or help them save for many years to come.
The future
We’re really excited about the future. The speed of innovation, of finding newer and better ways to communicate, is increasing. We’re investing in our technology and our people so we can keep in touch with our customers the way they want, when they want.
It’s easier than ever to keep in touch with us. We have UK call centres, open at times to suit you. We’re on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube as well. If you’re an iPad or iPhone user, we have apps to let you keep in touch on the move.
Company Commonly Asked Questions
Does Standard Life offer ethical investments?
Yes – these investments are guided by our ethical funds committee and our clear ethical criteria.
In 2011, ethical funds represented 0.5% of our funds under management. Ethical investment is also linked to our broader corporate and social responsibility. (verified here http://www.standardlife.com/corp_resp/sustainability/responsible-investment.html)
Do you listen to customer comments?
We spend a lot of time listening to our customers. In 2011, we ran 17 customer closeness sessions across the UK where our senior people met with groups of customers to hear their views and opinions. We also have an online customer community of 1,500 members, with around 400 actively taking part in online discussions, giving us regular feedback on our literature and product propositions.
(verified here - http://www.standardlife.com/corp_resp/sustainability/building-better-relationships.html)
How much do you donate to charity?
In 2011, our people raised £453,310 for charity. Involving our people in community investment is important to us. It gives them the opportunity to share skills and knowledge - and it also helps them develop new skills. Across the group, we invested £1.84 million into the communities we work in. (verified here - http://www.standardlife.com/corp_resp/sustainability/contributing-to-our-communities.html)
