Seven Investment Management (7IM) has roped in Chris Phillips to be its chief client officer as it sets its sights on further growth.
In the newly-created role, Phillips (pictured) will oversee the wealth manager’s marketing proposition and digital client experience. He will report to 7IM chief executive Dean Proctor.
Phillips has led several commercial propositions in the banking sector, most recently as a personal current account products director for Lloyds. Before that, he was head of Barclays’ retail segments customer experience. He started his career as an auditor for KPMG before moving to Halifax where he oversaw personal loans and mortgages.
His appointment follows a year of upheaval for the business as it completed its integration with Edinburgh and London-based discretionary manager Tcam.
7IM’s costs spiked 15% last year on the back of higher staff costs and redundancy payouts following the acquisition. It did see assets under management grow by £900m to £13.3bn in 2018 but this was less than the £1.1bn it received from absorbing Tcam.
Following the merger, 7IM has also seen a string of senior departures, the highest profile being CEO Tom Sheridan. Earlier this month the firm lost its head of wealth management Alexander Rentoul Montgomery.
Proctor said Phillips joins at “an exciting time for the business” and touted him as “an experienced leader across products, marketing, customer experience and transformation”.
“His [Phillip’s] experience and insight will be vital in helping deliver our commitment to grow the business through innovative, customer-centric solutions and services for both our advisory partners and private clients,” Proctor said.
