Expanding Financial Planning group Independent Wealth Planners (IWP) has appointed two seasoned professionals to two newly-created senior roles as it plans further growth.

Rob Allen has been appointed managing director and David Shiel joins as marketing director.

IWP says that Mr Allen will lead the company’s growing national network of independent financial advisers in line with its ambition to build “Britain's best wealth planning business.”

He has worked in financial services for 25 years in the UK and Australia. After graduating from Oxford University, he began his career as a consultant at Arthur Andersen, before moving to Australia and taking senior positions in Westpac and West LB. He returned to the UK in 2009, joining HBSC Commercial Banking as managing director, head of mid-market sponsor coverage UK & Europe. Before that he was managing director, commercial and business banking at Williams & Glyn, part of RBS.

Mr Shiel joins IWP as marketing director with responsibility for building the brand, supporting IFA acquisition and driving customer growth. He has spent more than two decades working in agency and in-house marketing roles with a number of brands, most recently as chief marketing officer at Cogress, a property and hotel investment company.

Mr Allen said: “IWP is a young, dynamic organisation, looking to take a different approach in the wealth planning sector with clients and people at its heart. I am looking forward to working day to day with the regional CEOs and providing central support for our advisers across the UK so they can spend even more time serving their clients, while preserving the unique local market presence of each firm.” 

Mr Shiel said: “Demand for independent financial advice in the UK is growing but currently the sector is extremely fragmented with few widely-recognised, trusted brands. I believe IWP has a huge opportunity to become a leading brand in the market and am excited to help their services reach more people.”