More New appointments at Ascentric
Monday, 14 July 2008
Ascentric, the Independent Wrap Provider, announces three new appointments, within Business Development and Operations. These appointments further strengthen the new business and transition teams who support new IFA users of the platform.
Steve White joins Ascentric as Head of Training and Relationship Management, Richard Beeby as Training and Relationship Manager (TRM) for London and Stuart Walker as Business Development Manager (BDM) for Scotland & Northern Ireland.
Steve White will be responsible for the training and transitions team who are regionally based throughout the UK to support new and existing IFA users during the transition of their business onto the Ascentric wrap platform.
Richard Beeby will support the transition of IFA assets on to the platform for London and the M25 area. He will also provide training and give ongoing assistance to existing IFA users of the platform.
The TRM team now includes:
- Simon Elliott, South
- Simon Harris, South West
- Ian Beardow, South East
- Richard Beeby, London
- Ann Marie Baker, Midlands
Further TRMs are also due to join shortly and will cover the regions of North England and Scotland & Northern Ireland to work alongside the BDMs.
Stuart Walker joins as regional BDM for Scotland & Northern Ireland and will be the primary contact for new IFAs in these areas. He will be supported by a TRM in the region from next month.
Nick Jones Head of Sales, said, "Since joining Ascentric in February the focus has been to strengthen the Business Development team and I am delighted that we continue to attract such high quality recruits. The team now has extensive experience in intermediary sales, as well as in depth knowledge of IFAs and their business needs. These greater resources will allow us to promote the benefits of Ascentric to IFAs across the UK".
The BDM team consists of:
- Freda Valassakis, London
- Steve Spruce, North England
- Nick Jones, South East
- Stuart Walker, Scotland & Northern Ireland
Michael Fordham, Business Development Director of Ascentric said, "We have been building a strong sales and transitions team to enable us to provide effective support to IFAs wishing to come onto the platform. With the recruitment nearing completion, the backing of Royal London and the continued development of the platform, we are now well placed to deliver a premier IFA wrap service for the whole of the UK market".
-ENDS-
For further information please contact:
Ascentric
Michael Fordham
Business Development Director
Tel: 0207 553 9170
Mobile: 07718538541
E-mail: michael.fordham@ascentric.co.uk
Notes to Editors:
Richard Beeby Career History – Richard has 10 years experience in financial services, ranging from People Development Consultancy (for IFAs) at Prudential, to Unit Trust Administration at M&G, via self-employed Financial Advice, Broker Consultancy and attainment of an MBA.
Stuart Walker Career History - Stuart joined the industry in 1998 with Scottish Widows in Edinburgh as Sales Support to IFA Sales Consultants. Between 2001 and 2005he worked as an IFA Consultant for Scottish Widows in London. Stuart moved back to Edinburgh as an IFA consultant for Norwich Union where he stayed until recently joining Ascentric.
Steve White Career History - Steve brings with him over 30 years experience of working in the industry for companies such as of CCH, Nat West, RBS and Computershare. He has previously held roles in National Sales and Account Management, managing various teams in the corporate and accountancy markets
About Ascentric
Ascentric and Fundsdirect are the trading names of Investment Funds Direct Limited.
Investment Funds Direct Limited was founded in 1982, and Fundsdirect launched as the UK's first online fund supermarket in December 1999. Since that time, the company has built on their reputation as a leading UK fund supermarket to provide Independent Financial Advisers (IFAs) with a Wrap service under the brand name of Ascentric.
Ascentric is a whole of market Wrap service, available exclusively to IFAs and offers a fully integrated online investment management and dealing platform. It also enables IFAs to transfer their clients' assets onto a single platform to provide them with the ability to manage their client's financial needs in just one place. This is obviously a considerable enhancement to the existing, time-consuming practice of IFAs introducing their clients to a number of different product providers.
In October 2007, a majority holding of Investment Funds Direct Group Limited was acquired by Royal London Group.
For further information about Ascentric and Fundsdirect, please visit either www.ascentric.co.uk or www.fundsdirect.co.uk
Royal London Group is a specialist financial service provider. Its businesses focus on those sectors of the market which value premium propositions, operating through a number of brands:
- Scottish Life – UK pensions market
- Bright Grey – UK protection market
- Scottish Life International – offshore investment markets
- Scottish Provident International – offshore investment markets
- RLAM – fund management
- RLAS – life and pensions administration
- Fundsdirect / Ascentric – funds supermarket; Wrap Platform
Royal London is one of the stronger life and pension companies in the UK, and has a strong track record for with-profits performance.
Royal London is the largest mutual life and pensions company in the UK with Group funds under management of £32.6 billion. Group businesses serve around three million customers and employ 2,630 people (figures quoted are as at 31 March 2008).