Two new senior personnel join rapidly expanding group

RiskFirst Group LLP today announced the appointment of two new key hires as the business continues its ambitious expansion plans. Simon Parr joins as Finance Director and Rob Stuart as General Counsel.

The new appointments follow on from the launch of PFaroe®, the industry changing web-based service for managing DB risk exposure, introduced last month by RiskFirst Analytics.

Simon was previously Group Financial Controller at IAG-UK, where he managed the central finance function and played a key role in restructuring the UK business. Prior to this, Simon was at Barclays Bank PLC from 1997 until 2007, working in a range of senior finance roles including Head of Finance – Barclays Private Banking Americas; Financial Controller – Barclays Private Bank and Finance Director – General Insurance. Simon played a leading role in the re-launch of Barclay’s general insurance business which became the UK’s fastest growing insurer. Simon’s final role in Barclays gave him responsibility for the Retail Bank’s total insurance profit and loss as Finance Director – Barclays Insurance. Simon started his career at Price Waterhouse, becoming a member of the ICAEW in 1996.

Rob joins RiskFirst from MKM Longboat, a multi-strategy hedge fund. Prior to this, Rob was General Counsel at Imagine Group, the speciality and structured reinsurance firm, which he joined in 2003. Rob began his legal career in private practice in 1992 at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt, a leading Canadian business law firm, and later practised in Allen & Overy’s International Capital Markets department, from 1999 to 2002. He is qualified to practise law in New York, England and Wales, and Ontario (Canada).

Commenting on the two appointments, Timothy Lyons, CEO Pensions First Group LLP, said:

“We welcome Simon and Rob to the fast-growing RiskFirst team. Their extensive experience within the financial markets will add invaluable strength and depth to our infrastructure at an exciting time in the development of RiskFirst. PFaroe is already set to bring about a fundamental shift in the pensions landscape in the UK, and we have ambitious plans to bring its ground-breaking qualities to a wider global audience.

“In contrast with much of the financial services industry, we have ambitious expansion plans. We have grown from 22 people in June of this year to over 50 and expect the team to double in size again over the next year with the launch of PFaroe in the US in the first half of 2010. Simon and Rob will play a critical role in managing our company’s rapid growth.”