ValidPath, the network for independent financial advisers, has announced the appointment of three seasoned professionals to its compliance team, reflecting ValidPath’s ongoing commitment to champion independent advice and further support in delivering the best outcome for their clients.
The appointments of Paul Thompson, Lezanne O’Donoghue and Michael Walker enhance ValidPath’s high quality compliance support and effective risk management, and position network members well to navigate periods of regulatory change. These new appointments see the team grow to 11 members and further appointments will be made in due course.
Paul Thompson has over 20 years of extensive experience in the mortgage advice sector and joins ValidPath as a resource for mortgage advisers within the network. In this newly created role, Paul will conduct comprehensive file reviews, provide expert technical support, and serve as a point of reference for any mortgage related enquiries. He will also assist with business development support for network mortgage members. Paul’s background includes various roles within the mortgage sector in addition to founding a whole-of-market mortgage and protection advice business. He joins ValidPath from Tenet, where he served as a Mortgage and Protection Mentor.
Lezanne O’Donoghue is a qualified financial adviser with over 20 years of experience in financial services. She has a deep background in IFA sales support, business development, and paraplanning, as well as most recently having founded her own advice business under St. James’s Place. Lezanne joins the ValidPath compliance support team and will handle a variety of key roles, including providing financial advice and compliance support to network member queries in respect to technical issues and best practice.
Additionally, Michael Walker joins from Tenet where he led a technical support team. He brings over 25 years’ experience in the financial services industry and is accredited with the CII Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning. Michael has worked extensively in technical roles, where he specialised in tax and regulatory support to ensure advisers consistently met compliance standards while providing high-quality financial advice.
Within his role at ValidPath, Michael will provide management and thought leadership within the compliance function to evolve and enhance the compliance framework, as well as working with advisers on regulatory topics.
Angus MacNee, CEO, ValidPath, said: “I am delighted to welcome Paul, Lezanne, and Michael to the team. With over 65 years of combined experience in financial services advisory, they have a deep understanding of our industry and will significantly enhance our market leading compliance offering.
“Their appointments reflect our commitment to providing the highest standards of compliance support to our network members to enable them to excel in their roles and deliver exceptional service to their clients.”
