Newly-merged Financial Planner and wealth manager Tilney Smith & Williamson has appointed the former chief digital and information officer at the Department of Work & Pensions (DWP), Mayank Prakash, as chief technology officer.

Mr Prakash joins the group from FTSE 100 utilities group Centrica where he has served as chief consumer digital and information officer and led teams to deliver customer experience improvements.

He was formerly the chief digital and information officer at the DWP, where he was responsible for the UK’s biggest IT and operations unit and had responsibility for scaling digital services for 13m people.

Mr Prakash has also held a number of other senior management positions, including at Morgan Stanley Wealth and Asset Management and Sage Group.

The merger between Tilney and Smith & Williamson completed at the start of this month with the combined group holding £47bn of client assets under management.

Tilney for Professionals, part of the newly merged group, has also expanded its international business development team with the hire of Maurice Keane and Jeremy Bezant. Reporting to head of business development Craig Wright, Mr Keane joins as head of international business development, while Mr Bezant will be business development manager.

Mr Keane joins Tilney from Rathbone Brothers where he has been managing director for international business development since 2017.

Mr Bezant also joins from Rathbone Brothers where he was director of international business development.

Chris Woodhouse, group chief executive at Tilney Smith & Williamson, said: “As we have been working towards completing the merger, we have recognised the importance of investing in additional talent to strengthen the leadership team and help us achieve our ambitious plans for the business.”