Phoenix Group will rebrand as Standard Life plc in March 2026 to provide greater clarity to clients and employees.
The group said that the change brings “our most trusted brand to the forefront” of the group’s savings and pensions business.
For employers, this means the brand they engage with as a pensions and benefits provider will become Standard Life. However, Phoenix stressed that customer-facing brands including SunLife, Phoenix Life and ReAssure will continue to operate unchanged, with no impact on existing products or services.
Andy Briggs MBE, Phoenix Group CEO, said: “In March 2026, we’ll be changing our name to Standard Life plc. It’s a brand that’s well known to all of you, it’s highly trusted, and it’s the brand we already use for new business in both pensions and savings, and retirement solutions businesses.
“It’s a real testament to how far the group has come over the last five years and our focus on meeting the needs of our 12 million customers and looking after the £295 billion of assets they trust us with.”
The group said unifying its identity under one name will offer greater clarity to clients and employees, as well as help attract new talent to the business itself.
The rebrand does not mark a change in business strategy, the group added, as it is currently delivering strong organic growth and is less reliant on mergers and acquisitions (M&A), though it remains open to deals that add scale.
The announcement was part of the group’s half year results, which Briggs said showed a strong performance “with progress against all key financial metrics we use to drive the business, demonstrating continued momentum towards our 2026 targets”.
He said: “We are increasingly well placed to serve our customers’ retirement needs and create further customer and shareholder value as we fulfil our vision to become the UK’s leading retirement savings and income business.”
The planned rebrand comes a year after the group confirmed its plans to simplify its brand strategy and coincides with Standard Life’s 200th anniversary.
Phoenix said the change reflects its transformation from a closed-book consolidator into a customer-focused, purpose-led business with growing operations across retirement savings and income.
The rebrand will see the group operate under a “branded house” structure, replacing the current master brand approach. Standard Life will become the single corporate and employer identity, used across communications with customers, regulators, investors, policymakers and employees.
