Romi Savova: The Founder Making Pensions Simpler

Last Updated on July 27, 2026 by Business Blog Media Editorial Team

Introduction

Romi Savova is a Bulgarian entrepreneur and financial-services leader. She is best known as the founder and Chief Executive Officer of PensionBee, an online retirement company that helps people find, combine and manage their old pensions.

She started PensionBee in 2014 after experiencing a difficult pension-transfer process herself. What appeared to be a simple task became slow, confusing and filled with paperwork. She believed technology could make the process easier for ordinary savers.

As of July 2026, Savova remains PensionBee’s CEO, a member of its board and one of its largest shareholders. Under her leadership, the company has expanded from a small UK startup into a public business operating in both the United Kingdom and the United States.

Romi Savova Quick Facts

Fact	Verified information
Full professional name	Romi Savova
Formal name in company records	Romina Savova
Born	July 1985
Birth country	Bulgaria
Nationality	Bulgarian
Profession	Entrepreneur and financial-services executive
Best known for	Founding PensionBee
Current role	Founder and CEO of PensionBee
Company founded	PensionBee
Founded	2014
Co-founder	Jonathan Lister Parsons
Education	Emory University and Harvard Business School
Former employers	Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Credit Benchmark
Main industry	Financial technology and retirement services

Who Is Romi Savova?

Romi Savova is a business founder who has focused her career on improving how people manage retirement savings.

Before starting her company, she worked in investment banking, financial risk and corporate development. These positions gave her experience with banks, insurance businesses, pension providers and financial technology.

However, PensionBee was not created only from professional research. The idea developed from a problem Savova faced in her own life.

When she tried to transfer an old workplace pension, she expected the process to be simple. Instead, she encountered paperwork, delays and unclear information.

She believed many other workers were facing the same difficulty.

Savova and technology specialist Jonathan Lister Parsons created PensionBee to give customers a clearer and more modern way to control their retirement money.

Romi Savova’s Education

Savova studied Economics and International Studies at Emory University in the United States.

She graduated summa cum laude, an academic honour given to students with very strong results.

She later attended Harvard Business School and completed an MBA in 2012. PensionBee states that she graduated as a George F. Baker Scholar.

Her education gave her knowledge of economics, international markets, business strategy and company management.

However, her later business idea came from combining this education with her own experience as a pension customer.

Her Career Before PensionBee

Savova began her financial career at Goldman Sachs.

She worked in risk management during the global financial crisis. Risk management involves studying possible financial problems and helping a company understand how much danger it may face from a decision or investment.

She later joined Morgan Stanley’s Investment Banking Division.

Her work included advising large financial businesses such as banks, insurance companies and pension providers.

Savova then moved into the financial technology sector by joining Credit Benchmark. She worked in corporate development, which involves finding ways for a company to grow, form partnerships and enter new markets.

These roles gave her experience in both traditional finance and modern financial technology.

Her path is similar to that of another former investment banker who created a major UK technology platform. Both founders noticed a common problem and used technology to build a simpler service.

Why Did Romi Savova Start PensionBee?

The idea for PensionBee began when Savova attempted to move a pension from a previous employer.

People often collect several workplace pensions during their careers. Every time a person changes jobs, they may leave a pension account with the former employer’s provider.

Over many years, this can create several small accounts.

Finding these pensions and moving them into one place can be difficult. Customers may need to contact different providers, complete forms and wait for information.

Savova experienced these problems personally.

She believed people should be able to manage their retirement savings in the same clear way they manage a bank account.

PensionBee was designed to help customers:

• Find old workplace pensions
• Transfer pensions into one account
• View their balance online
• Make new contributions
• Choose an investment plan
• Plan for retirement
• Access eligible pension money

The company does not remove every important decision connected with retirement. Instead, it tries to make pension information and account management easier to understand.

How PensionBee Was Created

Savova established PensionBee with Jonathan Lister Parsons in 2014.

Lister Parsons brought technology experience to the company, while Savova focused on customers, finance, operations and business growth.

The founders left their previous jobs and began building the PensionBee platform.

The company officially began serving customers in 2016.

PensionBee worked with established investment managers to provide pension plans. Its technology allowed customers to see their retirement savings through an online account rather than relying only on letters and paper statements.

Savova also became PensionBee’s first customer by transferring her own pension to the service.

This helped connect the company’s product with the original problem she wanted to solve.

Important PensionBee Milestones

2014: The Company Was Founded

Romi Savova and Jonathan Lister Parsons established PensionBee.

The founders began developing a service that could help people find and combine old workplace pensions.

2016: PensionBee Began Serving Customers

The platform opened to customers with pension plans managed by established investment companies.

The service focused on online access, clearer information and simpler transfers.

2018: The Mobile Application Launched

PensionBee introduced a mobile application that allowed customers to view and manage their pensions using a smartphone.

This was important because pensions had traditionally been managed through paper forms, telephone calls and complex provider websites.

2020: Assets Passed £1 Billion

By the end of 2020, PensionBee reported more than £1 billion in assets under administration.

Assets under administration means the total value of customer pension money held within the company’s investment plans.

2021: PensionBee Joined the London Stock Exchange

PensionBee completed its stock-market flotation in 2021.

The listing raised new money for company development and made PensionBee a publicly traded business.

Taking a company from startup stage to the stock market is a major step. It requires stronger reporting, public financial information and responsibility to shareholders.

Savova became one of a relatively small number of female founders to lead a financial-services company onto the London Stock Exchange.

2022: Premium Market Listing

PensionBee moved to the Premium Segment of the London Stock Exchange’s Main Market in 2022.

The company later became part of recognised UK market indices, including the FTSE All-Share.

2023: Adjusted Profitability

PensionBee reported achieving adjusted EBITDA profitability during the final quarter of 2023.

Adjusted EBITDA is one method companies use to explain operating performance before certain financial costs are included.

It does not represent the same thing as final net profit, but it can show whether the central business model is becoming more financially sustainable.

2024: Expansion Into the United States

PensionBee entered the US retirement market in 2024.

The American service was designed to help customers combine eligible old 401(k) retirement accounts into an Individual Retirement Account.

The company worked with State Street to support the expansion.

Moving into the United States gave PensionBee access to a much larger retirement market, but it also required the company to understand different regulations, investment products and customer needs.

What Does Romi Savova Do Now?

As of July 2026, Savova remains the founder and Chief Executive Officer of PensionBee.

She is also:

• An executive member of the company’s board
• A member of its Nomination Committee
• Responsible for the company’s main business strategy
• Closely involved in UK and US growth
• One of PensionBee’s largest shareholders

Her work includes guiding the company’s leadership team, communicating with investors, supporting product development and helping PensionBee expand internationally.

She is not simply a former founder whose name remains connected with the company. She continues to lead its daily direction and long-term plans.

How Large Is PensionBee?

According to PensionBee’s Q2 2026 business update, the company reported:

• 327,000 invested customers
• £8.6 billion in assets under administration
• Approximately £56 million in annual run-rate revenue
• Annual run-rate revenue growth of 40%

An invested customer is a person who has transferred pension money or contributed to one of PensionBee’s investment plans.

These results show how far the company has grown from its early startup stage.

PensionBee now operates across the UK and US with a team of around 200 people. The company remains listed on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker PBEE.

Readers can review the company’s leadership and development through the official PensionBee company profile.

Romi Savova’s Ownership of PensionBee

Savova remains a major owner of the company she created.

PensionBee’s investor information showed that she held 76,038,686 shares as of June 2026. This represented 32.21% of the company’s issued ordinary shares.

This shareholding means her financial interest remains closely connected with PensionBee’s long-term performance.

It is important not to turn this ownership percentage into an unsupported net-worth estimate.

A person’s shares can change in value, and personal wealth may also involve taxes, debts, restrictions and other assets. Therefore, her verified company ownership is more reliable than a guessed personal fortune.

Romi Savova’s Leadership Approach

Savova’s public career shows several important leadership ideas.

Begin With a Real Customer Problem

PensionBee was created because Savova experienced a difficult pension transfer.

She did not begin with technology and search for a purpose later. She first identified a genuine problem and then used technology to create a possible solution.

Make Complex Services Easier

Retirement products can be difficult to understand.

PensionBee uses simpler language, digital accounts and online tools to help customers see important information more clearly.

A company does not always need to invent a completely new product. It can also succeed by making an existing service easier to use.

Combine Different Skills

Savova understood finance and company development. Lister Parsons had technology experience.

Their different abilities helped the business address both financial and technical challenges.

Build Trust Slowly

People are careful about retirement money because it may support them for many years.

A pension company must protect customer information, follow financial rules and explain risks clearly.

Trust cannot be created only through advertising. It must be supported by reliable systems and responsible service.

Prepare for Regulation

Financial technology companies work in a heavily regulated industry.

PensionBee’s expansion required the business to follow financial rules in both the UK and the US.

This is an important lesson for entrepreneurs. A useful idea must also operate safely and legally.

Remain Connected to the Business

Savova remained the company’s CEO after its public listing.

Founder-led businesses can benefit from a clear long-term vision, although leaders must also build experienced teams and strong company systems.

Her journey can be compared with the story of a financial-services founder who grew a small operation into a major public company.

Why Is Romi Savova Important in Financial Technology?

Romi Savova is important because she helped bring digital technology into an area that many consumers found slow and confusing.

Online banking and payment applications became common before pension management became equally simple.

Pensions often remained connected with:

• Paper statements
• Long transfer periods
• Several separate providers
• Difficult financial language
• Old employer records
• Limited online access

PensionBee tried to bring these tasks into one digital service.

The company’s growth also shows that financial technology is not limited to payments, loans or online banks. It can also change how people prepare for retirement.

Savova has also spoken publicly about improving pension transfers, consumer choice and representation within financial services.

What Can Entrepreneurs Learn From Romi Savova?

Personal Problems Can Reveal Business Opportunities

A frustrating experience may affect many other people.

Entrepreneurs should study why the problem exists before deciding whether a business can solve it.

Simple Communication Matters

A financial service may contain complicated systems behind the screen, but the customer experience should remain clear.

People are more likely to trust a company when they understand what it does, what it costs and what risks are involved.

Industry Experience Can Be Valuable

Savova’s earlier work at major financial companies helped her understand banking, pensions and risk.

A founder does not always need decades of experience, but knowledge of an industry can help identify problems that outsiders may miss.

Technology Should Serve a Clear Purpose

The main value of PensionBee is not that it uses an application.

Its purpose is to help people locate, combine and manage retirement savings. The technology supports that goal.

Growth Requires Strong Systems

A small startup can make decisions quickly.

A public financial company needs stronger reporting, security, regulation, customer support and leadership processes.

Building these systems is as important as attracting new users.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Romi Savova?

Romi Savova is a Bulgarian entrepreneur and financial-services executive. She is the founder and CEO of PensionBee.

What is Romi Savova famous for?

She is famous for creating PensionBee, an online retirement company that helps people find, combine and manage old pensions.

Is Romi Savova still the CEO of PensionBee?

Yes. As of July 2026, she remains PensionBee’s founder and Chief Executive Officer.

When did Romi Savova start PensionBee?

She founded PensionBee with Jonathan Lister Parsons in 2014. The company began serving customers in 2016.

Why did Romi Savova create PensionBee?

She developed the idea after experiencing a difficult process when trying to transfer one of her own pensions.

Where did Romi Savova study?

She studied Economics and International Studies at Emory University and later completed an MBA at Harvard Business School.

Where did Romi Savova work before PensionBee?

She worked at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Credit Benchmark.

Is PensionBee a public company?

Yes. PensionBee joined the London Stock Exchange in 2021 and trades under the ticker PBEE.

Does Romi Savova own PensionBee shares?

Yes. Company investor information showed that she owned 32.21% of PensionBee’s issued ordinary shares as of June 2026.

Does PensionBee operate outside the United Kingdom?

Yes. PensionBee expanded into the United States in 2024 while continuing to operate in the UK.

Conclusion

Romi Savova is best known for turning a difficult personal pension experience into a growing financial technology company.

After working at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Credit Benchmark, she founded PensionBee with Jonathan Lister Parsons in 2014.

Their goal was simple: make it easier for people to find, combine and manage retirement savings.

PensionBee later launched a mobile application, passed billions of pounds in customer assets, entered the London Stock Exchange and expanded into the United States.

As of July 2026, Savova remains the company’s CEO, board member and largest individual shareholder.

Her story shows that a strong business can begin with an everyday problem. It also shows that technology creates the most value when it makes an important service clearer, faster and easier for ordinary people.