The UK-headquartered wealth manager is hoping its latest hire will help bolster its academy programme.

St James's Place has named Duncan Gregory as head of business for its academy based in Manchester, UK. 

Gregory will use knowledge gained from working as a chartered financial planner and experience gained in business development to grow SJP's academy, the firm said in a statement. 

He most recently served as financial planning director at Prudential Financial Planning. He led the distribution arm of Prudential UK for three years.

Earlier in his career, he also spent stints with HSBC, Lloyds, Skipton and Towry and has held senior posts across the financial planning, wealth management and mortgages sectors.