Ascot Lloyd, one of the UK’s largest and fastest growing independently owned IFA firms, announces the appointments of Christian Burgess as Chief Financial & Operations Officer (CFOO) and Peter Blanc as Non-Executive Director (NED).
Christian will lead Ascot Lloyd’s Finance and Operational Transformation functions, working closely with Nigel Stockton, CEO, to drive the strategic agenda across the business. Christian’s responsibilities will include overseeing Ascot Lloyd’s automation and digitalisation strategy, with technology becoming increasingly important to the client proposition.
Christian joins Ascot Lloyd with considerable international experience at Board level, gained through a varied career spanning the breadth of the financial services industry. Christian joins from Cabot Credit Management where he was CFO and the Board Member responsible for all Emerging Markets Businesses. Christian’s previous roles include time spent at Deutsche Bank, including two years as a divisional CFO/COO.
Peter Blanc, Head of M&A at Howden Group Holdings the global (re)insurance broker and employee benefits advisor, joins as a NED, bringing a wealth of expertise from across financial markets and mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Peter will add considerable weight to Ascot Lloyd’s M&A function as the businesses continues to scale through a mixture of organic and inorganic growth. Peter has an excellent track record in value-accretive M&A, having delivered over 50 acquisitions and integrations over the past five years.
Peter 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 has previously served as a NED on the board of Hastings Insurance Services Ltd, the British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA) and is a Past President of the Chartered Insurance Institute.
Mike Covell, Chair at Ascot Lloyd, 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.”
Nigel Stockton, CEO at Ascot Lloyd, added: “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.”
