People: Three new recriuits for growing financial planning company; YBS appoints chief strategy and digital officer; two new directors at Savills

Three new staff have been appointed by a Harrogate boutique financial planning company which has seen assets under management soar to £40m.

An independent financial planner and two para-planners have joined fast-growing Seventy Financial Planning, in Follifoot, founded by director, Chris Riley, after leaving an international bank in 2012.

Andrew Brierley brings ten years of financial services experience along with trainee paraplanner, Joshua Wrigley, who is studying for a certificate in para-planning with the Chartered Insurance Institute and Eileen Riley, Chris’ mother, a newly-qualified paraplanner, following a career as a book-keeper in the charities sector.

Riley, a chartered financial planner, said: “These appointments will enable us to continue to give the best possible service and advice to private and corporate clients and ensure we have the right frontline skills and background support as we continue to grow, largely through personal recommendation.

“We are part of a new wave of financial planning firms which combine our expertise with industry-leading software to enable clients to understand, plan and manage their financial futures as effectively as possible. When done properly, planning helps people anticipate how their lives may look in the future using a range of potential scenarios and wider economic forecasts. Coupled with this, and based on the clients’ agreed requirements, we also provide traditional wealth management services such as investments and pensions.”

The compan moved from Leeds to Harrogate in 2015. During its first year the company achieved a £50,000 turnover, with £5m funds under management from 15 clients. This has now grown to five staff, a £400,000 turnover and 80 clients.

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Yorkshire Building Society Group has announced the appointment of Greg Willmott as chief strategy and digital officer, subject to regulatory approval.

Willmott has 20 years’ experience in corporate strategy and planning, including senior roles at Zurich Insurance, Aviva, KPMG and Barclays.

When he joins the Society in January, Willmott will be responsible for driving forward the Group’s business strategy and digital agenda.

Mike Regnier, Yorkshire Building Society’s chief cxecutive, said: “It is vital we have clear leadership for the Group’s strategic and digital developments so I am delighted to announce Greg’s appointment to this newly created role.

“His extensive experience in strategic planning and digital financial services, combined with his firm belief in mutual values, made him a very strong candidate. I have every confidence Greg will excel in this vital role for the Society.”

Willmott said: “This is a very exciting time to be joining Yorkshire Building Society. I’m looking forward to working with colleagues and the senior executive team to help shape and lead strategic planning and digital propositions for this well-respected mutual.”

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The Savills planning and development teams in Leeds have been bolstered by two new senior appointments. Rob Crolla has joined as a director in the planning team, whilst Sue Howarth joins as an associate director in the development team.

With over 25 years of experience in the planning industry,Crolla joins from an independent planning consultancy where he established an office presence in Leeds for the brand. Prior to this, he spent eight years at Indigo Planning Limited: one of the UK’s leading independent town planning consultancies; before which he spent three years at ASDA Stores Limited where he worked as town planning manager.

Crolla is experienced in all aspects of planning, but his role at Savills will be focused on business space and other commercial development planning.

Director and head of Savills Leeds planning team, Adam Key, said: “Rob is a real asset to the team and we are delighted to have him on board. We have a strong presence in the north with offices in Manchester and Leeds. With the rise of the Northern Powerhouse, Rob’s appointment has come at an ideal time, providing us with an opportunity to maximise our role across Yorkshire and the north of England to its full potential”.

Howarth, who is a Chartered Surveyor RICS Registered Valuer, joins from Cushman & Wakefield in Leeds where she worked as an associate for 12 years. She has over 20 years of experience in the industry and has previously worked for the likes of BNP Paribas and CBRE in Leeds and Barclays Property Holdings in Newcastle. She has specialist knowledge of the residential property sector, having practised in this field for over 15 years.