The Verve Group has announced two appointments to the leadership team of the group’s not-for-profit arm which promotes financial services and advice as a profession to new entrants.
Emma Napier, head of proposition at Bravura Solutions has been appointed chairperson of the Verve Foundation, while Hayley Rabbets has been announced as head of the Verve Foundation.
Rabbets, who has a background in financial planning firms, will lead the Verve Foundation and help promote the organisation’s existing initiatives.
Rabbets said: “I couldn’t be prouder to be driving forward the growth of the Verve Foundation and leading the charge for real, fundamental change within the industry. Our initiatives have truly had such a positive impact already, I can’t wait to see what the future holds."
The Verve Foundation runs a number of initiatives, designed to improve some of the challenges in financial services.
A key focus of the organisation is around promoting financial services and financial planning as a career path among young people.
According to FCA data, only 8 per cent of financial advisers are under the age of 30. Meanwhile three quarters are over the age of 40.
Napier is currently head of proposition at Bravura Solutions and prior to that was head of distribution at True Potential.
“I have been a huge supporter of the Verve Foundation right from the very start of the ‘We Are Change’ initiative and I will do everything I can to help promote its existence.
"As an industry we must work together on designing a future - fresh ideas, addition of new talent and some innovative thinking would be a really good thing,” Napier said.
‘We Are Change’ is an initiative by the organisation that began in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic and aims to help bridge the advice gap and widen the talent pool in the industry.
Earlier this year, the Verve Group’s chief executive, Cathi Harrison told FTAdviser that the group’s existing companies are to be consolidated under one brand this summer.
Currently, the group offers adviser support services such as compliance training and outsourced paraplanning across its three brands: Apricity, Para-Sols and The Art of Finance.
The group also offers a two-year structured programme for new entrants to the financial industry via its graduate scheme and produces ‘That Mint Podcast’, a podcast on all things financial services.
The final arm of its current structure is The Verve Foundation, which looks after the group’s not-for-profit initiatives.
jane.matthews@ft.com
