Fidelity International has appointed Jackie Boylan to succeed Pat Shea as head of Fundsnetwork as the platform upgrades its technology and makes a strong play for asset growth.
Boylan (pictured) joined Fundsnetwork in May 2017 as head of advisory services.
Shea announced his retirement in July and Boylan takes on the role on 1 January 2019.
Fundsnetwork at important point in its evolution
Boylan’s appointment comes at an important point in Fundsnetwork’s evolution, Heather Hopkins, managing director and founder at Next Wealth, told Portfolio Adviser. “She has a background in operations and service and has shown that she is committed to learning about the UK market and the advisers that use the Fundsnetwork platform.”
Hopkins said: “Fundsnetwork is upgrading its platform technology and is ready to make a strong play for asset growth. The business has a strong commitment to the UK market and is investing in service, one of the most important factors affecting platform choice among advisers.”
The move was welcomed by Fundscape’s chief executive officer (CEO) Bella Caridade-Ferreira, who said she expects the platform to “come on in leaps and bounds in the next couple of years”. “Jackie Boylan knows her platform stuff, is highly experienced and intelligent, practical and best of all, she’s a woman — what’s not to like?”
In July, parent company Fidelity International revealed Anne Richards, former boss at M&G Investments, was joining as chief executive.
Shifting from Australian to UK platform market
Boylan moved from Australia last year. Prior to Fidelity International, she held a number of management positions at BT Financial Group, a subsidiary of Australian banking group Westpac. She has 22 years’ experience in the financial services industry.
She said she looked forward to contributing to the next phase of growth at Fundsnetwork.
“The platform and advisory market is undergoing significant change which is both exciting and challenging. I’m looking forward to working with our advisory partners in my new capacity to continue to develop the platform and deliver a market leading experience that meets their needs.”
Fidelity International’s managing director Pete Horrell added Boylan had considerable industry knowledge and experience. “This makes her ideally suited to the role and her appointment demonstrates our ongoing commitment to the financial adviser market.”
