business
Movers&Shakers
THORNTON ASSOCIATES’ SHARON SUTTON APPOINTED AS ADVISER TO PERSONAL FINANCE SOCIETY BOARD Managing Director of Thornton Associates and FPFS Chartered Financial Planner, Sharon Sutton, has been appointed as an advisor to the board of the Personal Finance Society, or PFS, the leading professional body for the global financial services profession. Sharon was the Isle of Man’s first Chartered financial planner, a title the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) awards to individuals who meet the highest standards of professionalism. Her specialism is in the provision of multi-jurisdictional personal financial planning, plus financial planning for businesses and trusts. Sharon has been Chairman of the PFS Isle of Man region since its formation in 2010 and she was also President of the Isle of Man Insurance & Financial Services Institute for the year 2011/12. Sharon has also served as a member of Isle of Man Sport (formerly the Isle of Man Sports Council) for 12 years, stepping down this September. Commenting on her appointment, Sharon Sutton said: “I am honoured to be co-opted as an adviser to the PFS Board and look forward to working with board members to help drive professionalism and ethics within the financial planning community, both locally and further afield.” Fay Goddard, CEO of the PFS, also commented: “Sharon brings a wealth of experience to the board, most notably in off-shore investment. She has been a strong supporter of the PFS in the Isle of Man for a number of years – most recently through her involvement in Discover Fortunes, a programme to raise awareness of financial planning as a career of choice through secondary schools. Sharon’s dedication and commitment to driving up professional standards is highly commendable and I’m pleased to welcome her to the Board.”
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CHRIS BLAKE APPOINTED SENIOR RELATIONSHIP MANAGER AT LLOYDS TSB Lloyds TSB has welcomed Chris Blake to the position of Senior Relationship Manager, Intermediaries on the Isle of Man. With over 20 years’ experience within the financial service industry, Chris has a proven track record of success working at various levels within highly competitive business environments and has developed an impressive portfolio of skills and qualifications. Having entered into the banking sector as a banking official in 1991, Chris quickly demonstrated a talent for client services and began his career in customer liaison and risk assessment as a Lending Officer in 1996. Chris went on to become a Senior Banking Official from which platform he rose to the position of Assistant Manager in charge of a team of personal bankers dealing with the expatriate market. Chris then took on a Senior Relationship Manager role in 2006, overseeing a portfolio of fiduciary clients, before moving into the fiduciary industry in 2009 as Finance and Banking Manager for a prominent Corporate Service Provider. Chris is also an active member of the local business community. In the past, Chris has been a business advisor with the Young Enterprise schools scheme, is currently on the Manx Executive Challenge Committee (a unique leadership experience backed by the Chartered Management Institute) and is a serving board member of the Association of Corporate Service Providers, or ACSP, the Island’s representative body for fiduciary, corporate management and administration services providers. His portfolio of qualifications includes high-level certifications from the Chartered Insurance Institute, the Chartered Management Institute and the Institute of Financial Services. Chris has most recently been awarded a diploma in Company Direction from the Institute of Directors.
ROYAL LONDON 360° EXPANDS ITS TEAM IN THE FAR EAST Royal London 360° has expanded its team in the Far East with the appointment of Graeme Ison as Regional Sales Consultant. A highly experienced financial services professional who has worked across five continents, Graeme joins the offshore life company from his role as Service Account Manager (Asia) at Momentum Wealth International in Hong Kong. Here, he was responsible for setting up and running the company’s first representative office in the Far East, including managing intermediary relationships. He also spent nearly 18 months with the company in South Africa and Guernsey before relocating to Hong Kong. Prior to his move to the Far East, Graeme gained an in-depth knowledge of the pensions industry, having held a variety of roles including with Hogg Robinson, PricewaterhouseCoopers and the Financial Services Authority in the UK. In his new role, he will be responsible for selling Royal London 360°’s regular premium savings products, Quantum and Paragon, its regular premium protection product, LifePlan, and its single premium bonds, PIMS and Oracle throughout the Far East. In his spare time, Graeme, who is originally from the UK, enjoys travelling, golf and playing squash. David Gervais, General Manager of Royal London 360° in Hong Kong and Asia, commented: “With Graeme’s 15 years of experience in financial services, including the last seven offshore, he will be a valuable addition to my team in terms of his market knowledge and strong relationships with IFAs in the Far East.”
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