The SimplyBiz Group has made changes to its compliance proposition with the launch of a number of ‘Centres of Excellence’.

The streamlined service will focus on particular areas of the group’s compliance offering, including policy, field services, helpdesks, complex and specialist areas and personalised consultancy.

The launch of the Centres of Excellence follows a reshaping of the executive compliance team at the end of 2018 with directorships for existing group staff Mark Greenwood and Richard Nuttall and a dedicated role for the mortgage and lending market, with the promotion of Steven Howard.

These changes also saw the appointment of Bankhall’s Paul Bruns to the newly created position of director of field compliance.

Gary Kershaw, compliance director of the SimplyBiz Group, said: “Providing compliance and regulatory support for the firms who use our services is absolutely the most important thing that the group does, and we will never stop developing and improving the services we offer in this area.

“Increasing regulation means that the burden upon advisers is growing all the time, and I don’t believe it will slow down at any point in the near future. Advisers need to be given the time to do what they do best; deliver high-quality, personal financial advice to their clients.

“In turn, they rely on us to do what we do best; help to relieve the regulatory burden through the provision of relevant, reliable and comprehensive support, delivered in plain English.

“The staff employed by the SimplyBiz Group are amongst the best in the entire industry, and the compliance support and guidance we provide is market-leading. The introduction of the Centres of Excellence has honed the significant resources and expertise we have in order to offer advisers access to focussed, specialist support in a transparent and efficient manner.”