Fluent Money Group has appointed John Lewis to take on the newly created role of head of compliance,.

He will report directly to group compliance director, Stuart Almond.

Lewis joins the Bolton based specialist lending distributor from Argos Financial Services where, as audit & compliance manager, he headed up their supplier due diligence programme, helped establish the conduct frameworks within an FCA authorised regime and worked on their GDPR project.

He was also part of the project team tasked with integrating supply chain management processes from Sainsbury’s into Argos, following the acquisition.

Almond said: “John’s role is newly created to provide me with support and he will effectively be my deputy. The group business is growing at a terrific rate.

“Since I joined Fluent, the department has grown from seven full time employees to 16, supporting a business which now encompasses not only the original second charge division, but also the burgeoning first charge and lifetime mortgages subsidiaries.

“John brings significant team and project management experience to the group. I am in no doubt he will be a significant asset as we begin a number of projects, including revisiting our own due diligence protocol with key partners and the FCA’s upcoming Senior Managers and Certification Regime, which we are already planning for and with which John will be fully involved.”

Lewis added: “I am delighted to have joined Fluent Money Group. This is an organisation with a consistent history of achievement. Their plans for growth are exciting and, when allied to the close knit family culture they have built and the role they have asked me to undertake, it was not a difficult career decision to make.”