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Openwork Restructures UK IFA Business
Tom Burroughes
23 September 2011
Openwork, the network of UK financial advisors, is to
restructure its national IFA 2plan business as part of a drive to enhance
Openwork’s whole-of-market capability in advance of major regulatory reforms
due to kick in by 2013. Under the new model, 2plan, which was acquired by Openwork
in September last year, will become a network supporting both registered individuals
and appointed representatives. As a result, 2plan, which has more than 200 RIs,
will continue to develop its existing RI proposition and extend support
services and technology to ARs. The new network, which will operate under the name 2plan
Wealth Management, will be run by 2plan’s existing management team led by chief
executive Chris Smallwood, who co-founded the business with Chris Davies in
2007, Openwork said in a statement. “Developing our IFA capability is central to Openwork’s
plans for growth and extending 2plan’s business model delivers another
important part of our strategy to offer both new and existing advisers the widest
possible choice for the RDR,” Mary-Anne McIntyre, chief executive of Openwork,
said. She was referring to the Retail Distribution Review, which is a programme
of UK
reforms designed to make advisors more independent and professional.