Anthony Sillett

“Most employees don’t realise the value of their benefits – my job is to change that.”

My first experience of money was a paper round, I’d go out early and earn what felt like a fortune, then head straight to the shops at the weekend. It wasn’t long before I started writing down what I had in a notebook, tracking it, and saving towards something I actually wanted, like a football shirt. I still have that instinct to make money work with purpose rather than just spend it.

I’ve spent over 16 years in employee benefits, starting in the administration team at Mercer before moving to KPMG and then Willis Towers Watson, where I helped both firms develop their own proprietary technology and deliver it to large corporate clients. My background in both the technical and human side of benefits gives me a perspective that’s useful when helping employers build multi-year strategies to improve employee engagement.

Today, working with Mattioli Woods, I focus on helping employers build and communicate benefit packages that make a difference to their people. It’s a world where the gap between what’s on offer and what employees understand is surprisingly wide, and that gap costs both sides.

Most employees know their headline salary, some know they have a pension contribution, far fewer appreciate the real value sitting in their benefits package; the life assurance, the medical cover, the income protection, that quietly underpins their financial security. For younger employees especially, those benefits can feel dull and abstract. Part of my role is bringing that value to life through engaging platforms and clear communication, making it personal and real rather than just a line in an onboarding document.

If you want to understand how I work, here’s a moment that sums it up. We once launched an online benefits platform for a client, and the technology let us down badly at the critical moment. Rather than manage the situation from a distance, I went to the employer’s offices and spent two days there, face-to-face with employees, going through their selections one by one. We delivered what we’d promised manually, as necessary, because integrity means fronting up when things go wrong, not just when they go smoothly.

Clients tell me I’m open, honest, and calm under pressure. I’d rather have one straight conversation than a long chain of emails, and I’d always rather be in the room. Each benefits project has its own deadlines and moving parts, and a methodical, unflustered approach keeps employers confident and projects on track, even when the unexpected happens.

Outside of work, I’m kept busy by my three daughters and a love of playing, watching, and coaching football. The paper round taught me something simple: knowing what you’ve got and what it’s worth is the foundation of everything. I’ve spent my career helping employers make sure their people understand exactly that.