The Personal Finance Society (PFS) has today appointed Chartered Financial Planner Alan Whittle as a new director of the organisation.
It has also appointed Adam Harper of the CCII Group as a director.
Mr Whittle, founder of Unburdened Limited, is a Chartered Financial Planner and Fellow of the PFS. He has previously served as the president, education secretary and careers officer of the Aberdeen Institute of Insurance and Financial Services, as the chair of the PFS North Scotland region, and as a CII national forum officer for Scotland.
He has 20 years experience in financial services, and says he is committed to seeing Financial Planning develop as a trusted profession. After working as a paraplanner and compliance and money laundering reporting officer, he set up Unburdened Limited in 2019 to spread knowledge, ideas and know-how that aims to change Financial Planning for the better.
He said: “Having spent many years volunteering across both the PFS and wider CII Group, I’m excited to continue supporting a profession I care so much about. We are at an important juncture as we look ahead to the challenges and opportunities shaping the future, particularly in areas such as AI, sustainability, and educating the next generation of financial Planning professionals.
“I’m looking forward to contributing to the board's strategy, championing high professional standards, and helping to strengthen the trust members and the public place in the work we do."
The other new board appointee Mr Harper is executive director, strategy, advocacy and professional standards in the CII Group. He replaces Gill White, who retired from the CII Group and as a director of the PFS Board at the end of 2025.
Before joining the CII, Mr Harper was director of professional standards and policy at the Association of Accounting Technicians.
He said: “I look forward to helping shape the PFS’s strategic direction and ensuring our work delivers real value for members and the public. From supporting vulnerable customers, to preparing the profession for the great wealth transfer, to strengthening the talent pipeline for the next generation, I’m committed to helping the PFS continue to lead the way in raising professional standards.”
Ian Callaghan’s term of office as a director of the PFS has also been extended for a further year, the PFS said. Mr Callaghan became a new director in March 2025 along with two more new board members, Kate Gannon and Craig Palfrey, who joined the board on 3 March.
The PFS has seen many other changes to its board in the past few years.
Carla Brown was recently reappointed as President of the PFS for a second year, after being re-elected in September. Kate Gannon was appointed vice president of the PFS at the same meeting on 11 September.
Earlier in the year Ms Brown took on the additional role of chair to replace Christine Elliott, who left after only eight months. Former chair Christine Elliot and Matthew Mallet quit as board directors in April 2025.