Ascot Lloyd has announced the appointment of Christian Burgess as chief financial and operations officer (CFOO) and Peter Blanc as non-executive director (NED).
Burgess will lead the independently owned IFA firm’s finance and operational transformation functions and will work closely with chief executive Nigel Stockton.
He will be responsible for overseeing Ascot Lloyd’s automation and digitalisation strategy, as “technology is becoming increasingly important to the client proposition”.
He joins Ascot Lloyd from Cabot Credit Management where he was CFO and the board member responsible for all Emerging Markets Businesses. Burgess previously worked at Deutsche Bank and UBS Global Asset Management.
Stockton said: “We are delighted to welcome Christian to the executive team at Ascot Lloyd, who brings a proven ability to execute ambitious strategic agendas within complex markets.
“As we continue to evolve our business to meet the changing needs of clients, automation and digitalisation have become a core part of our thinking.
“Christian will spearhead our efforts in this space, whilst leading our wider operations and finance teams, ensuring that our business remains as competitive as possible in a fast-evolving marketplace.”
Blanc is head of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) at Howden Group Holdings. He joins Ascot Lloyd as an NED and will “add considerable weight to Ascot Lloyd’s M&A function”.
He has spent the majority of his career in the insurance sector, developing a “deep understanding” of customer-focused distribution models and operating within complex regulatory frameworks.
He was previously an NED on the board of Hastings Insurance Services, the British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA) and is a former president of the Chartered Insurance Institute.
Ascot Lloyd chair Mike Covell said: “The depth of experience that Peter brings to the Ascot Lloyd board will be hugely beneficial as we continue to deliver on our core strategic priorities.
“The level of expertise flowing through the business is matched by the ambition of the growth strategy, and the skills that Peter brings, particularly in the M&A space, add to our evolving set of capabilities.
“With experience spanning the breadth of financial markets at some of the biggest institutions, the appointment reflects Ascot Lloyd’s ability to attract leading talent in the market.”
