One Four Nine makes three key appointments
Key appointments come as firm celebrates its first anniversary, laying groundwork for integration and further growth in 2023
One Four Nine Group, the national, independent financial advice and fund management group, has bolstered its senior team with the appointment of a Chief Operating Officer, Chief Compliance Officer, and M & A Director. The hires come just as the firm celebrates its first anniversary since launch, having made six acquisitions and reaching the milestone of £1billion client assets during its first year.
One Four Nine’s expansion of its operational team at this time is a significant move, allowing for greater resource to be directed towards acquisitions and stepping up the pace of the integration programme for the firms and their teams it has already welcomed, to create a unified sense of brand and identity.
Stuart Harding has joined as Chief Operating Officer and will oversee the Group’s operational and technology strategy, including the integration programme which commences immediately and will gather significant momentum through 2023. Stuart is a Chartered Financial Planner and Chartered Wealth Manager, offering him vital insight into ensuring excellence in client servicing. Stuart has spent more than twenty years in financial services encompassing extensive experience in acquisitions and integrations for companies including Barclays, NatWest and most recently Attivo.
Barry Strathearn will lead the Group Risk and Compliance function by becoming Chief Compliance Officer and has garnered more than two decades of regulatory knowledge in financial services with firms that include Nationwide Building Society and Cumberland Building Society. Barry is a Chartered Associate of The London Institute of Banking & Finance, a Fellow of the Personal Finance Society and was awarded the CASS prize by the Newcastle CII in 2016 for the ‘Meritorious completion of the Diploma in Financial Planning’. As One Four Nine continues to grow and integrate its regional teams, Barry will ensure regulatory standards are consistent across the different One Four Nine Locations.
Asif Huq has joined as M & A Director, supporting Managing Director Gabrielle Beaumont on the Group’s acquisition activities to accommodate the increasing number of Adviser and Fund Management firms interested in joining One Four Nine. Asif has over 18 years’ experience in corporate finance and has specialist expertise in wealth management M & A gained at companies such as EY and Schroders. He has an MA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University and an MSc in Banking & International Finance from Bayes Business School (part of City University).
Matthew Bugden, the One Four Nine Chief Executive Officer, commented: “The One Four Nine team has achieved so much during our first year and I am extremely grateful for their commitment, professionalism and dedication. As we embark upon the next stage of our journey in the year ahead, we will strengthen the integration and brand identity of firms that are already part of the Group, fostering a strong entrepreneurial culture and spirit as well as continue the drive for further growth, both organically and via acquisition. I know that our colleagues in the six firms who are already part of the One Four Nine family are excited about these recent appointments and are looking forward to the operational and propositional change that will follow.”
“Our staff are our greatest resource, so I am delighted to welcome Stuart, Barry and Asif to our ranks. Their experience and attitude are outstanding and to attract candidates of this quality is a fantastic endorsement of One Four Nine Group’s calibre and strategy. We have ambitious plans for 2023 and will make further appointments in due course to continue maximising growth opportunities in the coming months.”
Take a look at the rest of the One Four Nine management.
