One Four Nine Group has made a trio of appointments to its senior team, as its growth plans continue apace.
The additions of Stuart Harding as COO, Barry Strathearn as CCO, and Asif Huq as M&A director come as the firm celebrates its first anniversary, having already made six acquisitions. It has also accumulated more than £1bn of assets under management in that time.
As chief operating officer, Harding will oversee its operational and technology strategy, in addition to supervising the integration programme, which ensures that all firms that are added to the group are up to speed with its business-wide platforms. During his career in financial services, which spans more than two decades, Harding has worked in acquisitions and integrations for Barclays, Natwest, and, most recently, Attivo Financial Planning.
Strathearn will lead the risk and compliance functions in his role as CCO, and will ensure that they are consistent across the firm’s offices. He has spent time at the Nationwide and Cumberland building societies and was most recently a director of compliance at Lowes Financial Management.
Huq’s appointment is the clearest evidence of the group’s expansion plans, and he will support managing director Gabrielle Beaumont in acquisition activities. A One Four Nine spokesperson added that the number of firms interested in joining the group is increasing. Huq has over 18 years’ experience in corporate finance, and has gained his M&A experience at several companies, including EY and Schroders.
Matthew Bugden (pictured), the firm’s CEO, said: “The One Four Nine team has achieved so much during our first year and I am extremely grateful for their commitment, professionalism, and dedication. As we embark upon the next stage of our journey in the year ahead, we will strengthen the integration and brand identity of firms that are already part of the group, fostering a strong entrepreneurial culture and spirit. We will also continue the drive for further growth, both organically and via acquisition. I know that our colleagues in the six firms who are already part of the One Four Nine family are excited about these recent appointments and are looking forward to the operational and propositional change that will follow.
“Our staff are our greatest resource, so I am delighted to welcome Stuart, Barry and Asif to our ranks. Their experience and attitude are outstanding, and to attract candidates of this quality is a fantastic endorsement of One Four Nine Group’s calibre and strategy. We have ambitious plans for 2023 and will make further appointments in due course to continue maximising growth opportunities in the coming months.”
