UK advisor network Openwork has hired Billy Hewitt as recruitment director for Scotland.

Formerly business development director at Honister Capital, Perth-based Hewitt has, as part of his new position, already engaged with a “significant number” of ex-Honister advisor practices.

Before Honister, Hewitt was financial services director at Nexus Financial Planning, having worked previously at companies including St James’s Place, Pearl Assurance and Legal & General.

“Our quality-led approach is clearly evidenced by the fact that, while we have now taken on 60 former Honister advisors - largely through our IFA proposition 2plan wealth management - we have rejected an additional 30, refusing one application for every two accepted,” said Keith Atkinson, strategy director for business acquisition at the firm.

Openwork is the UK’s largest multi-tie mortgage and financial advice network with over 2,000 financial advisors. Its roots lie in the acquisitive Allied Dunbar group, itself acquired in 2000 by insurance giant Zurich which re-launched the sales force as The Franchise Network. In 2001 it changed its name to Zurich Advice Network before becoming Openwork four years later.