SimplyBiz Assembles 'heavyweight' Investment Committee

Percival, the former Financial Conduct Authority technical specialist-turned-consultant, will provide external governance and compliance oversight for the external investment committee.

Rayner, managing director of Rayner Spencer Mills Research, will provide investment review and monitoring services.

They join Defaqto head of insight and consulting Pan Andreas who will provide both asset allocation and investment research services.

SimplyBiz Group compliance director Gary Kershaw will act as deputy chair, while SimplyBiz Investment Services managing director Dan Russell will chair the committee.

Centra, powered by Defaqto Engage, offers financial planning, integrated product research and suitability reports within a single system, with the ability to use a ready-made complete centralised investment proposition (CIP), or for a firm to apply their own CIP. It is offered at no cost to advisory firms working with the SimplyBiz Group. 

Russell said: "Centra has been very well received by advisers, with over 700 firms signing up for the service in the three weeks since we announced the impending launch.

"The calibre of the professionals who will be working on behalf of those firms on this investment committee is second to none and I am confident that the Centra proposition will become a core part of our Members' toolkit."

Percival said: "Having reviewed Centra and been involved in the design process of the service, I am delighted to serve on the investment committee.

"Making suitable investment recommendations and having a robust advice process that justifies those recommendations remains one of the biggest challenges faced by advisers. Centra provides a good framework to assist advisers in tackling these challenges in an efficient way."