Focus Advice Technology has appointed Jason Reading-Green as business growth lead as it targets expansion among mainstream financial advice firms.
Reading-Green (main picture) joined Focus after 15 years at FTRC, most recently as chief commercial officer, and will lead the technology provider’s push into the wider advice market.
The newly created client-facing role will see him work with advice firms as Focus looks to extend the reach of technology previously deployed with larger enterprise clients.
Reading-Green began his career as a paraplanner before moving into advice technology and has worked extensively with both advisers and technology providers.
WIDER ADVICE MARKET
Founded in 1993, Focus provides advice technology to financial services businesses including NFU Mutual, Skipton and Aberdeen.
Its latest platform uses an API-first, Azure-native architecture and includes modular workflow technology and a rules-driven advice engine.
Focus said Reading-Green’s appointment marked a step-up in its growth ambitions, with the business investing in its go-to-market capabilities as it seeks to bring its technology to a broader range of advice firms.
Further announcements around the company’s expansion are expected in the coming months.
Reading-Green said: “I started my career as a paraplanner, and I’ve spent every year since then trying to understand what actually makes advice firms work better.
“Fifteen years at FTRC gave me a rare, granular view of every component, system and supplier in this ever-evolving advice tech market – so I don’t say this lightly: what Focus has is different.
“Their modular workflow and true API-first architecture put them in a strong position against firms still carrying legacy baggage and dated, complex systems.
“But it’s the rules-driven, fully explainable approach to portfolio switching that really sets the Advice Engine apart from anything else I’ve seen in the market.”
‘RIGHT PERSON TO LEAD’
Dave Upton, CEO of Focus, added: “Jason is one of the most respected figures in advice technology, and the fact that someone who has spent 15 years scrutinising this market from every angle has chosen to join Focus speaks for itself.
“We’ve spent three decades proving what our platform can do at enterprise scale, and now we’re investing in growth, people, and the ambition to bring it to many more firms.
“Jason is exactly the right person to lead that, and this is just the beginning of what’s to come.”
